Tuesday, 31 October 2023

Brunswick electorate

Tim READ (Brunswick) (14:40): (386) My question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Research from Victoria and overseas shows that a local speed limit of 30 kilometres an hour allows motorists to get where they are going while keeping vulnerable road users safe. Both the councils and the constituents in my electorate, supported by the TAC, Victoria Police and the World Health Organization, all support lowering local road speed limits to 30 kilometres an hour where appropriate. But Victoria’s speed zoning policy classifies 30 kilometres as an exceptional speed limit, meaning councils only have the power to run lengthy and costly trials rather than making a permanent change. It is time to allow councils to make our streets safer. When will the minister amend the speed zoning policy so that 30 kilometres an hour is no longer a special-purpose speed limit needing state approval and instead make it a standard allotted speed limit?