Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (14:43): I am delighted to make a contribution to debate on the Road Legislation Amendment (Speed Limits) Bill 2025. I acknowledge the member for Balmain and thank her for bringing the bill before the House. I know that everything she does comes from a good place. However, as the previous speaker said, the Government does not support the bill, and I will explain why as I elaborate. I note that the Minister for Roads is in the Chamber, and I acknowledge her strong commitment to and passion for road safety in New South Wales, particularly in rural and regional areas. Being a countrywoman herself, she understands the importance of road safety better than most, particularly speed limits.
Again, while I commend the good intentions of the member for Balmain, the Government is of the view that the bill will have unintended consequences. Further to the Minister's representations, road safety more broadly is the Government's number one priority when it comes to the Roads portfolio. As chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Road Safety, I welcome all discussions on this important topic. That committee is in the process of concluding an inquiry into the road toll in rural and regional New South Wales, and speed limits have been an intense part of that inquiry.
The bill amends the New South Wales Road Rules, alongside other changes, to mandate speed limits of 30 kilometres per hour in school zones, at school bus stops, and in high-pedestrian and local areas. I refer members to my previous comment when I referenced the good intentions of the member for Balmain. I have been to Balmain only a couple of times—it is a bit far from Campbelltown—but when I go to that beautiful part of our great city, I note the congestion and serious road issues that are unique to areas like Balmain and other parts of the inner city and inner west.
However, as I previously stated, the Government cannot support the bill at this time for several key reasons, including consistency. I firmly agree with the member for Balmain that delivering safe speeds in our local communities is absolutely critical. That remains a priority for the Government, but it does not implement blanket changes to speed zones across the State or in metropolitan areas. Speed zones need to be set with consideration for the local road environment on a case‑by‑case basis. The Government continues to strengthen life-saving initiatives for all road users through safe roads enforcement, technology, education and reform, including delivering a suite of reforms to directly deal with e‑bike safet. That is a continual and growing issue in every one of our communities and I know is consistent with the issues in Balmain. The Government has made a record investment of $2.8 billion in road safety initiatives, including extensive infrastructure safety upgrades across the State.
The Government is also committed to supporting new enforcement measures that include the average speed camera trial for light vehicles, which is showing promise in shifting behaviour; and seatbelt camera enforcement, which has seen a 60 per cent drop in noncompliance for seatbelt offences. That is a great outcome, although it is remarkable to think that, in the year of our Lord 2026, people still do not get the message to wear a seatbelt when driving a vehicle.
The Government has doubled mobile roadside enforcement sites, with an additional 2,700 sites so that enforcement is spread more evenly statewide. It has delivered the interactive Road Safety Learning Lab and introduced the most significant reforms to motorcycle safety regulations for novice riders in nearly 20 years, an outcome of the Motorcycle Safety Roundtable 2025. The Government has also improved transparency and safety of road upgrades through publishing star ratings across 35,000 kilometres of State and regional roads. The Government has delivered the Bus Industry Taskforce and the Demerit Point Integrity Taskforce. It has fast‑tracked maintenance on our roads to improve the road surface, which I have seen in my electorate and others in western and south-western Sydney. In particular, the Government made an ongoing commitment to upgrade Appin Road, which has been overlooked for generations.
With the House's indulgence, I briefly touch on that upgrade. With the Minister's support and the Government's commitment, the Appin Road will finally be upgraded to make it safer than it has ever been. It is a notorious road. I used to run coal trucks up and down it at the night, and I know how slippery it can be. In upgrading that road, in cooperation with the private sector, we are also prioritising the protection of our wildlife. I was there only the other day to look at the accelerated construction of the koala underpasses. Whilst there, I was advised that in the past 12-month period, tragically there was one koala death on the Appin Road. In the 12 months prior to that, before the Government implemented the fencing and other upgrades, there were nine tragic koala deaths in that same area. I am not suggesting that the fight is over. There is still much more to do for the protection of our habitat and the conservation of our valued koala colony.
I thank the House for indulging me in clarifying that. Turning back to the specifics of the bill, the Government has introduced heavy vehicle rest area improvements, and level crossing innovations and upgrades. Finally, I note the Government's ongoing, comprehensive program of evidence-based community education campaigns, which target key behaviours that contribute to our road toll. I conclude where I began, by thanking the member for Balmain for bringing the bill before the House. I acknowledge her passion and commitment, for the right reasons, to a good outcome. Unfortunately, the Government is not in a position to support the bill this time, but the member should not read that as a lack of support for her goodwill.
