Opposition of the federal government’s proposed reduction of default speed limits in regional areas from 100 km/h to between 70 km/h and 90 km/h has expanded to include criticism from within the Labor Party.
Last week, West Australian Labor Senator Glenn Sterle spoke on ABC Pilbara, saying: “If it was up to me, it wouldn’t [have] even got to there”.
“It is just a nonsense that we would even entertain or put up something like this. We have to clear the decks,” he told the radio station, as he encouraged listeners to write to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport expressing their distaste for the proposal.
Senator Glenn Sterle. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
“You’ve asked me my opinion and this is rubbish. This is ridiculous,” Sterle said.
Under the National Road Safety Action Plan, state and territory governments have empowered the federal government to develop a “regulatory impact analysis” which would inform changes to Australian road rules.
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, who opposes the speed limit proposal, said: “Regional communities are completely opposed to a Labor government in Canberra which has cut and cancelled funding to regional road projects telling them speed limits must be slashed to as low as 70 kilometres”.
“The minister should listen to her transport committee chair and end the consultation straight away and make a clear statement the government will not be forcing cuts to speed limits on communities,” McKenzie said in a statement.
Consultation for the proposal closed at midnight yesterday with the change being sold as an opportunity to reduce road fatalities.
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