In 1987 Wayne Gardner changed Australian motorcycling forever by becoming World 500cc Champion.
In 1989 Phillip Island changed Australian motorcycling forever by hosting the first international Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
In 1992 the Victorian Government changed Australian motorcycling forever by holding a Parliamentary Inquiry into Motorcycle Safety.
After nearly two decades, another Victorian Government's Road Safety Committee (RSC) is holding another inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety after this weekend's Phillip Island GP.
Thousands of riders from across Victoria, interstate and overseas will be on The Island for the race on October 14, 15 & 16, 2011. Too many of them do not know about the Inquiry in Melbourne on October 17, 18 & 19.
You can read the terms of reference for the Inquiry at:
The RSC has received 67 submissions from interested individuals and organisations. As usual, many are from those who would save us from ourselves but know little about riding motorcycles & scooters in today's traffic.
There are calls for banning pillions and open-face helmets. There are recommendations to increase compulsory third party insurance (CTP) and to require would-be riders to hold a full car licence before applying for a bike learner's permit. Some want governors on bike engines others want airbags on bikes and compulsory high-visibility protective clothing on riders.
There's even a serious suggestion to add extra cables to the deadly wire rope barriers to stop sliding riders going under the fence!
On the other hand, there's a lot of sensible input.
Among other things, traffic filtering gets a good mention.
There seems to be little rider support of the transport Accident Commission's (TAC) $60+ a year antibike tax except from a few who want the tax to fund their projects and/or activities. The TAC tax rip off should be abolished. Motorcycle & scooter research and facilities should be funded out of general revenue at all three levels of government. It should be similar to, if not greater than, taxes spent on the bicycle community.
"Hearings
The Road Safety Committee will be holding Public Hearings, in Melbourne, on Monday 17, Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 October 2011, as part of its' Inquiry into Motorcycle Safety.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the hearings.
Members of the public are also invited to attend the Open Forum on Tuesday 18 October 2011 from 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm. As part of the forum, people will have 10 minutes to discuss the issue of motorcycle safety with the Committee.
The Committee will also be holding public hearings in regional areas including Ballarat, Bendigo, Wangaratta, Wodonga and Bairnesdale during November and December."
The venue for the RSC motorcycle inquiry public hearings in Melbourne is 55 St Andrew's Place, East Melbourne. It's the building pictured, on the corner of St Andrew's Place and MacArthur Street. It's behind the Old Treasury Building ay the top of Collins Street. Entry is off MacArthur Street where the flags are.
I'm told the public gallery holds just 20 to 25 people. Maybe the size of the venue and the failure to give its' address says something?
Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group
MRA HLM
Melbourne
Tel: 03 9846 8621
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