School Zone Flashing Lights and Pedestrian Safety

The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: My question is directed to the Minister for Roads. How can the Minister's announcement of the program to install flashing lights in 100 school zones per year for four years be considered a statewide safety achievement when simple arithmetic shows that, with 11,000 school zones in New South Wales, it would take 110 years to install flashing lights in all school zones across the State? Can the Minister explain to the House how this announcement is about road safety rather than continuing the ability to revenue-raise?

The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: I thank the honourable member for his question and interest in this important matter. The Premier yesterday announced a $46.5 million program to improve the safety of students in school zones. New generation flashing light technology will be installed in a further 400 school zones across New South Wales. This roll-out will begin immediately. One hundred systems will be installed every year over the next four years. The Iemma Government is delivering on its commitment to improve road safety around schools. These are not just orange globes on a pole; this is new generation state-of-the-art technology, which is highly visible, reliable and doing a good job of slowing down motorists.

These new generation flashing lights have been assessed after 100 were installed in time for the start of the 2007 school year. That assessment of 100 sites involves a $7.2 million commitment made before the election and delivered before the election. I am advised that the assessment found that the state-of-the-art technology reduced speeding in school zones with the vast majority of motorists sticking to the 40 kilometres per hour speed limit. This four-year school zone safety program will be fully funded by revenue from speed cameras installed in school zones. So unlike the Opposition, which of course made unfunded promises before the election for the old wrong technology, we have a fully funded program over the next four years at a value of $46.5 million.

The Government's policy is for high-visibility fixed speed camera enforcement in school zones. The latest figures show that more than 99 per cent of motorists going past the new school zone speed cameras are doing the right thing. Fewer than 1 per cent of the 37.5 million vehicle movements through these zones have resulted in the imposition of fines. Every school zone with a speed camera also has the flashing light technology. I am advised that the Roads and Traffic Authority has inspected the 40 kilometres an hour school zones to ensure that they are all properly signposted. The question from the Opposition demonstrates a complete failure to understand the extensive school zone safety package that this Labor Government has delivered. Members opposite do not understand that we have a 40 kilometres an hour speed limit around all our schools.

The Hon. Duncan Gay: You don't understand—there are 11,000 schools.

The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: Yes, and some 3,000 schools have multiple school zones. Every school has its own unique environment. That is why we also provide pedestrian overpasses, employ more than 1,000 lollypop personnel to supervise crossings, have signalised traffic lights, install pedestrian fencing to ensure that people cross at the right place and install wombat crossings. The school zone safety package is an overall approach to ensure that we get the right environment to protect children around schools. Clearly it makes sense to prioritise those schools that are close to busy roads or roads with higher speed limits. We ensure that we get the right treatment to ensure the safety of schoolchildren in the right environment. The difference is that our plan is fully funded and paid for from the revenue generated from people who speed through school zones. It makes sense that those who speed through school zones and are fined pay for the rollout of this important $46.5 million initiative to make school zones safer for schoolchildren throughout the State.

The Hon. DUNCAN GAY: I ask a supplementary question. In light of that answer, will the Minister inform the House of the name of the successful company that will install the flashing lights under this $46 million program?

The Hon. ERIC ROOZENDAAL: The Opposition should be well aware that the testing of technology involved a number of organisations. I am not aware of which organisations were successful. I am happy to get that information from the Roads and Traffic Authority for the honourable member.