23 May 2019

SARAH COURTNEY MP

2019-20 Budget: Taking action on quad bike safety

The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to improving the safety of Tasmanians who own and operate quad bikes, and this year’s State Budget delivers on this commitment.

Sadly, quad bikes are one of the leading causes of death and injury on Australian farms, and Tasmania has not been immune to this trend. Between 2011 and 2019 (to date) there have been 11 quad bike related deaths in Tasmania.

The 2019-20 Budget includes a $700,000 package of measures to improve quad bike safety, including a 12-month, $500,000 rebate scheme for the fitting of approved rollover or crush protection devices to farmers’ quad bikes from 1 July 2019.

This will allow farmers to receive a rebate of up to 50 per cent of the purchase price (to a maximum of $500 per device and $1000 for each eligible farm workplace) for an approved rollover or crush protection device.

The Hodgman Liberal Government will also develop a public awareness and education campaign specifically seeking to keep children safe around quad bikes. This campaign will focus on improving safety for all users, but with a particular focus on children.

Working together with industry, the Government will also develop a Code of Practice for quad bike sellers to inform all purchasers of new and used quad bikes of their obligations for safe use of these vehicles.

We will also continue to work with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) with the intent of implementing a national safety rating system for quad bikes, which is likely to be enacted through a safety standard, and is anticipated to be delivered later this year.