Formalising Advocacy To State For A Review Of Queensland Police Powers And Legislation Concerning E-bikes And E-scooters

Frank Wilkie1:08

So, on what screen? The motions. This is just the. Okay, next is the confirmation of the Minutes. Can I have a mover and a seconder for the Minutes of the ordinary minute, held on the 19th. That's, again, that's Councillor Lorentson, seconded by Councillor Finzel. All in favour? That's. Cheers. Yes. That's unanimous. There are no Mayoral minutes. Next are petitions. I have one petition from Trevor. Sutton regarding traffic calming at Allambi Terrace. We, the undersigned, hereby make application for street calming devices, speed bumps in Allambi Terrace between Toulambi Street and Winbirra Way and Noosa Heads. To support this application, we submit the following. Details about increased flow of traffic and speed, and observations about rat running, and the view that Allambi Terrace is used by a school bus route and bus stop, and the increase in small children and families living in the area. I ask that this petition be received by the CEO for appropriate handling by the organisation. May I have a second for that? Thank you Councillor Stockwell. All in favour? That's carried. Jess? Yes. Unanimously? Yes. There are five notified motions today. The first one is formalising advocacy to the State for a review of Queensland police powers and legislation concerning e-bikes and e-scooters. This is from Councillor Phillips. Would you like to move your motion? Yes, thank you. Good morning. I'll second that, Councillor Phillips.

Jessica Phillips3:01

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yeah, just you. So my, yeah, reading thank you. Just reading the recommendation for formalising advocacy to state for a review of the Queensland police powers and legislation concerning e-bikes and e-scooters that Council A, formally support advocating the State, Queensland state government and opposition for a comprehensive review of police powers and other relevant legislation concerning the use of e-bikes and e-scooters. B, acknowledge the increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters within the Shire and the growing concerns from residents regarding the safety risks these devices pose on our roads, especially when used irresponsibly. Recognise that while Council actively encourages active transport and alternative modes of transportation to promote sustainability and reduce traffic congestion, ensuring the safety of all road users remains a top priority. I am going to speak quite briefly on this because I think if you were to jump on any Facebook site or community notice board or anything weekly, we are seeing communities saying e they are seeing-suites and e-bikes misused and to me, in my experience, it is only a matter of time before we see a real fatality on our roads. So I am bringing this motion forward to address the growing usage of e-bikes and e-scooters in our Shire. They are becoming increasingly popular, offering great alternatives to cars for short journeys. And as a Council, we've been actively promoting active and sustainable transport options, and we should be really proud of that. But however, this increase in usage has also brought a significant safety concern to the forefront of our residents. We're seeing dangerous behaviour on our roads, reckless riding, lack of helmets and frequent near misses with pedestrians and vehicles. Residents are increasingly. Reporting these dangers and it's clear that the current situation is putting both riders and the broader community at risk. It's only a matter of time before we witness a fatality on our roads. Legislation, and I've spent some time speaking with our local police around the legislation that they currently have and the e-bike and e-scooter legislation was written as a reactive measure in response to the rapid rise in the popularity. But it isn't sufficient to address the real that we're seeing every day. The laws in place are not adequate to give police the powers required to enforce meaningful consequences for dangerous usage. And this is not about minor incidents. We're talking about potentially life-threatening situations. And this is why I'm asking Noosa Council to formally advocate to the advocate to the State government for a comprehensive review of this legislation because we need laws that are fit for purpose, providing the clarity and authority that police need to enforce rules that will protect everyone, riders, pedestrians and motorists. Should address the key issues like speed limits, helmet use, safe riding practices for all age groups. But most importantly, we need legislation that's straightforward and easy for police to enforce, ensuring that dangerous behaviour we're witnessing on our roads is met with appropriate action. I'm just going to urge all my fellow Councillors today to support this motion because we must make our roads safer for everyone while continuing to promote active and sustainable transport options. Thank you.