Political views
Candidates in the recent Victorian election were invited to state their personal position and their party's policy on noisy vehicles and hoon drivers. The responses from the candidates are published on this page.
This is the letter that was sent to the candidates:
Urban noise is an increasing problem in our cities. It is recognised as having a significant impact on communities’ physical health and mental health. Excessively loud motor vehicles, particularly hoon vehicles and motorbikes with modified exhaust systems, are a major contributor to urban noise especially in ‘hot spots’ where these anti-social road users congregate. One of these hot spots is Beaconsfield Parade where very loud (and illegal) vehicles are having a serious impact on the amenity of this area which is so important to its residents and its many visitors. See www.beaconsfieldparade.weebly.com.
Our community group wishes to make known the policies and proposed actions of our local candidates in the forthcoming state election in relation to this issue of excessively noisy (illegal) vehicles. Would you please advise:
The responses that were received are published below in order of their receipt. You may wish to reflect on how effectively the candidates responded to the questions asked.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Martin Foley,
Australian Labor Party
Hoons - whether on Beaconsfield Parade or indeed on the water on Jet skis are an international urban blight that our motorised cities are increasingly dealing with.
The State Labor Government is leading the way in many of these responses. As the State election in November looms closer there will be further statements of policy in a range of areas that will impact on this area.Nonetheless I can advise as follows:
Victoria Police - as recognised by your community web page set up to monitor the issue - are acting to pursue the issue of Hoons more generally and around the areas of Beaconsfield Parade in particular. How the EPA and special Police blitz's - as we saw last week end around Jacka Boulevard - are operational decisions taken by Victoria Police in consultation with the community.
It is the role of the State to make sure that Victoria Police are resourced and equipped to ensure they are in a position to respond to the demands such as Hoon behaviour - whether on the roads of Beaconsfield Pde or on the waters just across the Beach.
The State Labor Government, together with Victoria Police, VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission have and will continue to develop policies, procedures and practices that will further reduce dangerous driving behaviour and road trauma.
The arrive alive road safety campaign, that commenced in 2002, has achieved a 20 per cent reduction in the road toll. It focuses on factors that contribute to road incidents including, speed, road design, drink driving, drug driving, fatigue, older driver safety and young/novice driver safety. The new 2008-2017 arrive alive campaign takes a safe systematic approach to tackling road safety issues by focussing on safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer drivers - including the issue of Hoon driving.
The Government aims to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in deaths and injuries by the end of the ten-year strategy. That is 100 fewer lives lost per year and 2000 serious injuries less per year.
As part of this approach the State Government is taking a tough approach to dealing with hoon behaviour.
In 2006 we amended the Road Safety Act 1986 to target drivers engaged in antisocial and illegal behaviour such as street drag racing, burnouts and driving at reckless speed. The Act now empowers police to seize and impound, or immobilise vehicles 'on-the-spot' for a period of 48 hours. Repeat hoon drivers can have their vehicles confiscated for three months and third time offenders face having their vehicle permanently forfeited. In addition to incurring a penalty, offenders must also pay the designated cost of the impoundment to retrieve their vehicle.To date, police have successfully impounded vehicles on over 10,000 occasions. Persistent offenders face extended impoundment of their vehicles and police recently obtained an order for the forfeiture of a fifteenth vehicle. The powers which police now hold are a substantial advance in road safety and enable police to deal quickly and effectively with dangerous antisocial situations. Such impoundment's include the Policing areas of Port Phillip.In addition to routine police patrols and enforcement activity, police conduct special operations that target high risk areas.
Operation Ardent, which commenced in July 2009, injects significant police resources, including highway patrol cars, motorcycles and booze buses, into Victoria’s ten highest fatality zones. Operation Ardent targets speeding, hooning as well as catching alcohol and drug affected drivers. The four blitzes conducted to date under Operation Ardent have involved the testing of over 43,000 drivers, of which 213 recorded positive drug and alcohol results. The blitzes also detected 3460 traffic offences.
The community can and does assist police in the detection of hoon drivers, and the identification of hoon hotspots by reporting incidents on the 1800 333 000 Crime Stoppers Hoon Hotline. This service enables the community to report hoon incidents anonymously. Gathering this intelligence information enables police to target repeat hoon drivers and act to prevent hoon driving in particular locations. However, in an emergency or where there are safety concerns, calls should always be directed to the 000 emergency number to ensure each call will be processed as a priority to enable the closest appropriate police personnel to respond in a timely manner.
The Government continues to review legislation and measures to deter dangerous and irresponsible hoon behaviour, with a range of enhancements to the legislation currently under consideration. These new laws are planned to include:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ann Birrell
Greens
My personal position and views on this issue
My views as to the effectiveness of current control measures, including the legislation concerned
These are important issues.
This is the letter that was sent to the candidates:
Urban noise is an increasing problem in our cities. It is recognised as having a significant impact on communities’ physical health and mental health. Excessively loud motor vehicles, particularly hoon vehicles and motorbikes with modified exhaust systems, are a major contributor to urban noise especially in ‘hot spots’ where these anti-social road users congregate. One of these hot spots is Beaconsfield Parade where very loud (and illegal) vehicles are having a serious impact on the amenity of this area which is so important to its residents and its many visitors. See www.beaconsfieldparade.weebly.com.
Our community group wishes to make known the policies and proposed actions of our local candidates in the forthcoming state election in relation to this issue of excessively noisy (illegal) vehicles. Would you please advise:
- Your personal position and views on this issue.
- Your party’s policy in this issue and whether you are satisfied with it.
- Your views as to the effectiveness of current control measures, including the legislation concerned.
- What you would seek to do, if anything, at both the state level and the local (your electorate) level in relation to this issue if you are elected
The responses that were received are published below in order of their receipt. You may wish to reflect on how effectively the candidates responded to the questions asked.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Martin Foley,
Australian Labor Party
Hoons - whether on Beaconsfield Parade or indeed on the water on Jet skis are an international urban blight that our motorised cities are increasingly dealing with.
The State Labor Government is leading the way in many of these responses. As the State election in November looms closer there will be further statements of policy in a range of areas that will impact on this area.Nonetheless I can advise as follows:
Victoria Police - as recognised by your community web page set up to monitor the issue - are acting to pursue the issue of Hoons more generally and around the areas of Beaconsfield Parade in particular. How the EPA and special Police blitz's - as we saw last week end around Jacka Boulevard - are operational decisions taken by Victoria Police in consultation with the community.
It is the role of the State to make sure that Victoria Police are resourced and equipped to ensure they are in a position to respond to the demands such as Hoon behaviour - whether on the roads of Beaconsfield Pde or on the waters just across the Beach.
The State Labor Government, together with Victoria Police, VicRoads and the Transport Accident Commission have and will continue to develop policies, procedures and practices that will further reduce dangerous driving behaviour and road trauma.
The arrive alive road safety campaign, that commenced in 2002, has achieved a 20 per cent reduction in the road toll. It focuses on factors that contribute to road incidents including, speed, road design, drink driving, drug driving, fatigue, older driver safety and young/novice driver safety. The new 2008-2017 arrive alive campaign takes a safe systematic approach to tackling road safety issues by focussing on safer roads, safer vehicles, and safer drivers - including the issue of Hoon driving.
The Government aims to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in deaths and injuries by the end of the ten-year strategy. That is 100 fewer lives lost per year and 2000 serious injuries less per year.
As part of this approach the State Government is taking a tough approach to dealing with hoon behaviour.
In 2006 we amended the Road Safety Act 1986 to target drivers engaged in antisocial and illegal behaviour such as street drag racing, burnouts and driving at reckless speed. The Act now empowers police to seize and impound, or immobilise vehicles 'on-the-spot' for a period of 48 hours. Repeat hoon drivers can have their vehicles confiscated for three months and third time offenders face having their vehicle permanently forfeited. In addition to incurring a penalty, offenders must also pay the designated cost of the impoundment to retrieve their vehicle.To date, police have successfully impounded vehicles on over 10,000 occasions. Persistent offenders face extended impoundment of their vehicles and police recently obtained an order for the forfeiture of a fifteenth vehicle. The powers which police now hold are a substantial advance in road safety and enable police to deal quickly and effectively with dangerous antisocial situations. Such impoundment's include the Policing areas of Port Phillip.In addition to routine police patrols and enforcement activity, police conduct special operations that target high risk areas.
Operation Ardent, which commenced in July 2009, injects significant police resources, including highway patrol cars, motorcycles and booze buses, into Victoria’s ten highest fatality zones. Operation Ardent targets speeding, hooning as well as catching alcohol and drug affected drivers. The four blitzes conducted to date under Operation Ardent have involved the testing of over 43,000 drivers, of which 213 recorded positive drug and alcohol results. The blitzes also detected 3460 traffic offences.
The community can and does assist police in the detection of hoon drivers, and the identification of hoon hotspots by reporting incidents on the 1800 333 000 Crime Stoppers Hoon Hotline. This service enables the community to report hoon incidents anonymously. Gathering this intelligence information enables police to target repeat hoon drivers and act to prevent hoon driving in particular locations. However, in an emergency or where there are safety concerns, calls should always be directed to the 000 emergency number to ensure each call will be processed as a priority to enable the closest appropriate police personnel to respond in a timely manner.
The Government continues to review legislation and measures to deter dangerous and irresponsible hoon behaviour, with a range of enhancements to the legislation currently under consideration. These new laws are planned to include:
- Impounding second-time offenders’ cars for up to three months
- Permanently confiscating third-time offenders’ cars. The confiscated cars will be sold, with proceeds to go to victims of crime. Unsafe or illegally modified vehicles will be crushed ( as we saw for the first time just this week.)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ann Birrell
Greens
My personal position and views on this issue
- It is certainly not unreasonable for residents to expect that the law will be complied with, and if it is not, that the Police or the EPA will be there to stand up for them and to enforce the law.
- It is interesting to read the Ballarat article and learn that so many drivers were caught driving noisy vehicles. It suggests there is a widespread problem. If so, it may not be solved by individuals taking action, or even groups like Quieter Road taking action. Perhaps one option would be to work out a program to gather some incontrovertible figures, say over a one month period, perhaps with the guidance and assistance of the Police and the EPA.
- Is it mostly an issue of inadequate standards, compliance or enforcement? Is the law enforceable? It would be good to also to find out details of any EPA noise notices and prosecutions, eg. were there any s48D prosecutions in 09/10?
- I have personally been involved in a number of local issues regarding traffic noise and residential amenity. You may be interested to read recent submissions on the proposed marina in Elwood and proposed new international container port for Port Melbourne. http://www.portphillipgreens.org/?page_id=87
- It is probably fair to say that of the three major parties, the Greens policies give greatest priority and funds for public transport and reducing traffic volumes. Our policies also target anti social behaviour with policies on liquor licensing, reduced alcohol promotion and drugs. Our transport policies prioritise addressing environmental and social impacts. See http://vic.greens.org.au/policies
- We also do not support the new international container port at Port Melbourne unless the rail link is reinstated. Webb Dock - stages 1&2 will quadruple truck/freight movement out of Port Melbourne. See http://www.portphillipgreens.org/
My views as to the effectiveness of current control measures, including the legislation concerned
- The EPA is underfunded and struggling. A recent Auditor Generals report found, in relation to hazardous waste, that there was ' neither sound compliance monitoring nor effective enforcement'. We would be interested to be kept informed as to whether the EPA has the resources and is able to assist your group.
- It seems from your site that it may be an issue of enforcement and may need to be tackled on several fronts. I would be interested to see more information before commenting definitively.
- I would be interested to help follow through the issue as described above. If the standards are inadequate, or unable to be enforced or are not being enforced, I would be happy to support the Quieter Road and work for resolution.
These are important issues.