Reducing road trauma is everyone’s responsibility
Reducing Road Trauma remains a priority in North Queensland. As Road Safety Week draws to an end for another year, several initiatives were announced including more cameras around our schools and road work sites and new laws coming in next month to ask people to slow down and move over for emergency services and others such as tow truck operators at accident scenes to protect those who are caring for those involved in road accidents.
All common sense really, why should we not protect those most cherished, our school children? Why should we risk the lives of roadworkers or first responders? They should all be able to go home after a day’s work in a safe environment. The fact that we need these laws and imposed penalties should send a message that we all need to do more to reduce road trauma in our North Qld communities. We have lost far too many lives on our NQ roads.
As a former Paramedic, I have been involved in near misses at accident scenes and it is nervewrecking when a car speeds past an accident scene at 100kph.
Only recently our local firies asked me to raise this issue with the Minister to do more around accident scenes.
Incredibly I read of people either complaining of not enough accidents outside schools to justify more cameras or that this is just revenue raising. And I say to those people, what price do you put on a life? Having been involved in tragedies in front of local schools stays with you forever.
As an MP, I still get complaints of cars speeding in front of schools.
Finally, I share with you that current legislation for all moneys imposed for camera detected offences must (in excess of admin costs) be used for:
Road safety Awareness programs, Road Accident rehabilitation
programs and Road Funding to improve safety of sections of statecontrolled roads where accidents happen.
Thank you for all those who are doing the right thing, and for those who are not, expect a ticket when next you speed past a school, roadworks or an accident scene.
I will continue to advocate for building safer roads, in the meantime, let’s all do our bit and drive safely on our roads.
AARON HARPER MP, State Member for Thuringowa. –
URGENT POOL SAFETY CHECKS
Australia is asking all owners of backyard pools to check their pool
fences and pool gates as a matter of urgency.
Children under five are curious and fearless, and their love of water puts them at risk of drowning.
Tragically, every year in Australia we lose on average 22 young children to drowning, more than half of those drowning in backyard swimming pools. The majority are aged just one year old.
We know that seven times the number of children who die go to hospital after a non-fatal drowning incident.
That is more than 150 children aged under five each year, some of whom will be left with life-limiting disabilities.
While active supervision is the best protection against childhood drowning, no parent or caregiver can watch a young child 24 hours a day.
Ensure that you have a functioning and compliant pool fence and working gate as an additional barrier between young children and water for all those moments when life intervenes – the phone rings, the doorbell rings, another child needs your attention – can literally be life saving.
You can download a free home pool safety checklist here: https:// www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/ campaigns-and-programs/keepwatch
This year, we’ve all experienced a lot more wet weather than usual. The La Niña conditions can wash away topsoil and weaken fences.
Check no fence posts have come loose from the ground. Make sure the gate is still self-closing and selflatching. Pack pool toys away so they are not an overwhelming temptation. It is also a good time to brush up on CPR ahead of summer.
By spending a bit of time checking the pool fence, pool gate and the area around the pool is secure, including no furniture or structures that little people can climb to access the pool, you could prevent a tragedy this summer.
Keep Watch and protect the littlest members of your family.
JUSTIN SCARR, Chief Executive Officer Royal Life Saving Society -
Australia.
WORTH THE WAIT
Re, “Pensioner’s rental pain.” (TB 24.8.22.) I could have saved this gentleman a lot of unnecessary grief, if he’d only gone to the Dept of Public Housing office and put his name on the waiting list like I did.
Believe me, it was worth the wait in the long term.
They give you the choice of 5 locations.
I was lucky enough to pick the location that was 100% right for me.
In the course of the waiting time, I found it necessary to stay in basic cheap accommodation, but as soon as a flat became vacant in my chosen area, I was given the keys and I moved right in.
That was back in June 2002, and I’m still living there after 20+ years.
My rent is deducted automatically every fortnight, so you don’t even notice it, it’s like living there for free, and the best part is if things need repairing like leaky roofs, all you need to do is call Q Build, and in a short time, the tradies come and fix the problem, at no cost to you, the renter.
To sum up, I could not be happier with my present situation, and have never looked back.
DAVID BILTON, West End.
EXPLANTION NEEDED ON MOWING
I appreciate Pedro writing today (25 Aug) on the matter of the $42 M contract for keeping the grass down in Townsville. I must admit when this was reported in the TB it slipped past my attention. I don’t get out of bed these days for anything less than $50M myself.
But what is going on here...seems like some explanation is due.
I don’t feel that townsville is suddenly succumbing to a tsunami of grass. What has promoted this?
Will this be one big contract or multiple contracts for blokes like me and Pedro to have a look in.
Will the mowers be out there wet and dry season, and what is the criteria for when the grass needs to be mowed? Is there a standard grass length that we need to abide by?
What is the cost per rate payer? Could we invest in a flock of sheep, and then at the end of the year have TCC throw a massive BBQ for us all?