Sunday, 16 June 2013
Tuesday, 11 June 2013
INCOMPETENCE OR BETRAYAL?
TO
ALL VICTORIAN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
AND TO INDEPENDENT RIDERS'
GROUP MEMBERS
After months of trying to find out when the "all of government"
response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety
(PIMSS) recommendations would be tabled, The Independent Riders'
Group (IRG) was contacted by Minister Mulder's office at 1.35pm on
Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
The message was detailed. The document would be tabled in "government
business" from noon or from 3pm on Wednesday, June 12. The information
was false. The document was tabled at 3pm on June 11.
The IRG issued a media release, attached, and contacted members so we
could have riders in the public gallery when the document was
tabled. The government response to the PIMSS directly effects rider
safety and we had a right to be there when it was tabled.
Two hours later, about 3.30pm, the IRG got another call from
Mulder's office to say the document had already been tabled.
This was a once in 20 years opportunity. We were betrayed.
Many rider are not happy. It seems to us that the shift to table the
document on June 11 rather than June 12, and the associated
misinformation was a ploy to avoid negative publicity.
Many of the PIMSS recommendations were rejected. Others are likely to
be delayed and altered to better suit VicRoads/TAC/Police agendas.
The way I see it, the "all of government" response to PIMSS does little
for safety while maintaining the status quo for VicRoads/TAC/Police
and it will weaken the motorcycle & scooter community in the long term.
I doubt traffic filtering (I use the politically correct term) will
be adopted in spite of the recommendation being "accepted". As with bus
lanes, they will talk about traffic filtering in private, but not in
After months of trying to find out when the "all of government"
response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety
(PIMSS) recommendations would be tabled, The Independent Riders'
Group (IRG) was contacted by Minister Mulder's office at 1.35pm on
Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
The message was detailed. The document would be tabled in "government
business" from noon or from 3pm on Wednesday, June 12. The information
was false. The document was tabled at 3pm on June 11.
The IRG issued a media release, attached, and contacted members so we
could have riders in the public gallery when the document was
tabled. The government response to the PIMSS directly effects rider
safety and we had a right to be there when it was tabled.
Two hours later, about 3.30pm, the IRG got another call from
Mulder's office to say the document had already been tabled.
This was a once in 20 years opportunity. We were betrayed.
Many rider are not happy. It seems to us that the shift to table the
document on June 11 rather than June 12, and the associated
misinformation was a ploy to avoid negative publicity.
Many of the PIMSS recommendations were rejected. Others are likely to
be delayed and altered to better suit VicRoads/TAC/Police agendas.
The way I see it, the "all of government" response to PIMSS does little
for safety while maintaining the status quo for VicRoads/TAC/Police
and it will weaken the motorcycle & scooter community in the long term.
I doubt traffic filtering (I use the politically correct term) will
be adopted in spite of the recommendation being "accepted". As with bus
lanes, they will talk about traffic filtering in private, but not in
public. They will delay, or not do anything until forced
to, about
either of these safety and traffic flow initiatives, probably because
they would benefit riders. VicRoads/TAC/Police only say they have
scrapped their policy not to do anything that might encourage
riders.
The Motorcycle Advisory Group (MAG) at VicRoads won't be expanded as
recommended. As people like Stuart Strickland OAM and Rob Smith from
Motorcycling Australia leave MAG they will be replaced with people
acceptable to VicRoads.
The Victorian Scooter Riders Association (VSRA) and the Australian
The Motorcycle Advisory Group (MAG) at VicRoads won't be expanded as
recommended. As people like Stuart Strickland OAM and Rob Smith from
Motorcycling Australia leave MAG they will be replaced with people
acceptable to VicRoads.
The Victorian Scooter Riders Association (VSRA) and the Australian
Motorcycle Trail
Riders Association (AMTRA) probably won't be allowed
on MAG and
the Independent Riders Group (IRG) will remain black listed.
The recommendation to abolish the TAC antibike tax was rejected. The
TAC tax is
morally wrong. No other form of transport suffers a punative
targeted
tax like this.
The argument put by some "rider reps" that the tax gives them a budget
The argument put by some "rider reps" that the tax gives them a budget
to work for motorcycling is not even close to credible. It gives them
a budget to sit on committees and do nothing but stroke their
egos.
These rider reps have sold out. They are most acceptable to
VicRoads-
/TAC/Police.
The TAC antibike tax was introduced by stealth 10 years ago. If it has
The TAC antibike tax was introduced by stealth 10 years ago. If it has
been working for us, where are the decade's worth of
results? While the
TAC tax exists motorcycle & scooter riders will never
get a real safety
budget like bicycle riders get. This lack of appropriate
funding for
real safety research and countermeasures gets riders hurt and
killed. VicRoads/TAC/Police know this.
The tax also discourages low-income riders from buying safety gear,
The tax also discourages low-income riders from buying safety gear,
good tyres and paying for quality
machine servicing.
VicRoads/TAC/Police know this too.
Both Liberal Premiers, Ted Baillieu and Denis Napthine, promised to rid
Both Liberal Premiers, Ted Baillieu and Denis Napthine, promised to rid
us of the TAC antibike tax
while in Opposition.
Both broke their promises.
Rejecting the PIMSS recommendation to set up an independent crash data
collection authority entrenches the old flawed system and maintains the
departmental empires, budgets and agendas.
An independent crash data authority would benefit ALL road users and
Rejecting the PIMSS recommendation to set up an independent crash data
collection authority entrenches the old flawed system and maintains the
departmental empires, budgets and agendas.
An independent crash data authority would benefit ALL road users and
would save the state money in the middle and longer
terms. VicRoads/TAC-
/Police et al crow about their world-leading road
safety systems but
it's all window dressing to hide their cosy little
fifedoms. Too many
rider reps see a place for themselves in those hidden
communities.
 |
| L to R: Damien Codognotto OAM, Terry Mulder MP and Michael Czajka discuss motorcycle & scooter issues. Mulder has the facts on our inadequate crash data collection and assessment system. |
Roads Minister Mulder knows very well of the problems with crash data
collection. He was on the all-party Road Safety Committee that
produced
the 2005 report on Crashes Involving Roadside Objects.
Page viii of
the Executive Summary:
"The Committee noted a number of areas where crash
"The Committee noted a number of areas where crash
information was missing or could be more detailed.
The difficulty obtaining
adequate data ... is a
continuing issue in Victoria, coming up time
continuing issue in Victoria, coming up time
and time again in Committee inquiries. Gov-
ernments agree to improve crash
information, yet
crash and crash risk information continue to be
an impediment to the improvement of roadside
safety in Victoria."
I'd
say unreliable crash data continues to be an impediment to reducing
all road
trauma in 2013 and Minister Mulder knows it. I think rejecting
the first three PIMSS recommendations is a betrayal of all Victorian
road
users, especially motorcycle & scooter riders.
The transcripts of the PIMSS submissions put the problems with the
The transcripts of the PIMSS submissions put the problems with the
current crash data system
on the record for all to see.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1407
The next Victorian election is in November 2014. Motorcycle & scooter
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1407
The next Victorian election is in November 2014. Motorcycle & scooter
riders won't
forget.
We Ride. We pay. We vote.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
DON'T BE THERE TOMORROW.
DIRTY TRICKS OR JUST INCOMPETENCE?
After months of trying to find out when the "all of government"
response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety
recommendations would be tabled, The Independent Riders' Group was
contacted by Minister Mulder's office at 1.35pm today.
The message was detailed telling the IRG that the document would be
tabled from noon tomorrow, June 11.
See attached.
Two hours later the IRG got another call from Mulder's office to say
the document had already been tabled.
Apparently, the 23 page response rejects many (HALF?) of the
recommendations. This would not make riders happy. Many believe
the shift to table the document today, probably before the first
call from Mulder's office was a dirty trick to avoid negative
publicity.
I'm told you can go to:
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1409
then click on "response" for a pdf file.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
Monday, 10 June 2013
BE THERE TOMORROW
GOOD NEWS! BAD NEWS!
The good news is that the "all of government" response to the 64 recommendations from the parliamentary inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety (Dec. 2012) will be tabled in the Victorian Parliament tomorrow, June 12, and you have a right to be there.
The bad news is that we only got verbal confirmation of this an hour or so ago on June 11. We have been trying to get information on this for months.
I am going to try to be at Parliament House in Melbourne by 9am. The public galleries should be open by then. If you can, I urge you to attend even if you can only stay a short while at lunch time or after work.
I'm told the document should be tabled in "government business" from noon or 3pm. No set time.
After the document is tabled you can pick up a copy from the Clerk of Papers office or find the response online. Start your search here.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1409
Don't wait outside. Go through security and ask to sit in the public gallery. There should be papers in there telling you the running order.
If you see the media. Don't be shy. Tell them what you think.
The last parliamentary inquiry in this state, into motorcycle & scooter safety was in 1992. So this is a 1 in 20 year opportunity.
If the response to the 64 recommendations is good, say so. If the response is bad, say so. We need to send a message to our elected representatives, and to the public, we are a community, we are concerned citizens and we are organised.
We ride! We pay! We vote!
The next Victorian election is in November 2014.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne.
PS The front number plate issue yesterday was a Furphy. It was just about road safety slogans on car plates.
The good news is that the "all of government" response to the 64 recommendations from the parliamentary inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety (Dec. 2012) will be tabled in the Victorian Parliament tomorrow, June 12, and you have a right to be there.
The bad news is that we only got verbal confirmation of this an hour or so ago on June 11. We have been trying to get information on this for months.
I am going to try to be at Parliament House in Melbourne by 9am. The public galleries should be open by then. If you can, I urge you to attend even if you can only stay a short while at lunch time or after work.
I'm told the document should be tabled in "government business" from noon or 3pm. No set time.
After the document is tabled you can pick up a copy from the Clerk of Papers office or find the response online. Start your search here.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1409
Don't wait outside. Go through security and ask to sit in the public gallery. There should be papers in there telling you the running order.
If you see the media. Don't be shy. Tell them what you think.
The last parliamentary inquiry in this state, into motorcycle & scooter safety was in 1992. So this is a 1 in 20 year opportunity.
If the response to the 64 recommendations is good, say so. If the response is bad, say so. We need to send a message to our elected representatives, and to the public, we are a community, we are concerned citizens and we are organised.
We ride! We pay! We vote!
The next Victorian election is in November 2014.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne.
PS The front number plate issue yesterday was a Furphy. It was just about road safety slogans on car plates.
Sunday, 9 June 2013
WARNING! BAD WEEK COMING?
The item on front number plates may be about the Victorian Government's plan to put road safety slogans on car number plates.
I got the info out as soon as I've confirmed it. Still nothing on the PIMSS recommendations.
FRONT NUMBER PLATES AGAIN!
PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS RESPONSE
NOT OPEN TO STAKEHOLDERS?
Luke A Donnellan MP
Shadow Minister for Roads and the TAC.
G'day Luke.
I rang Jude's (Perera MP) office and some Liberal people but no one knows anything about any announcement regarding the government's position on the PIMSS recommendations.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1409
As you know they have to do something next week. Something must be in the works somewhere. It beggars belief that nothing is planned and that stakeholder groups are not informed.
I think the government's spin doctors are paranoid about negative publicity after Ted Baillieu MP resigned as Premier, probably well before that too.
I think VicRoads/TAC/Police are playing one stakeholder group off against another to advance their own agendas and they definitely do not want a lot of the PIMSS recommendations.
We already know that VicRoads dominates Victoria's Motorcycle Advisory Group and secrecy is a top priority. They have made it very clear that some stakeholder groups are black listed.
TAC too. TAC holds meetings where only selected people are allowed in. I know. I have been told to leave one meeting this year, not because I could not make a valid contribution, because my contribution was not what they wanted to hear. I was not on their invite list for the second half of the meeting and was told to leave.
Anyway, I think the PIMSS announcement will be made next week with "tame" stakeholders. I think it will be kept as low profile as possible because I think the response to the PIMSS recommendations is going to be a very serious disappointment to the motorcycle & scooter community. I hope I wrong.
Please see if you can get a straight answer on the PIMSS announcement from Minister Mulder when you see him next.
terence.mulder@parliament.vic.gov.au
Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
***********************************************
Dear Damien,
they are doing a release on number plates today (motor
vehicles) so I have a feeling it may be a road safety week theme.
I will keep asking around but your comments on the government being paranoid are spot on.
Luke
I got the info out as soon as I've confirmed it. Still nothing on the PIMSS recommendations.
FRONT NUMBER PLATES AGAIN!
PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY RECOMMENDATIONS RESPONSE
NOT OPEN TO STAKEHOLDERS?
Luke A Donnellan MP
Shadow Minister for Roads and the TAC.
G'day Luke.
I rang Jude's (Perera MP) office and some Liberal people but no one knows anything about any announcement regarding the government's position on the PIMSS recommendations.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1409
As you know they have to do something next week. Something must be in the works somewhere. It beggars belief that nothing is planned and that stakeholder groups are not informed.
I think the government's spin doctors are paranoid about negative publicity after Ted Baillieu MP resigned as Premier, probably well before that too.
I think VicRoads/TAC/Police are playing one stakeholder group off against another to advance their own agendas and they definitely do not want a lot of the PIMSS recommendations.
We already know that VicRoads dominates Victoria's Motorcycle Advisory Group and secrecy is a top priority. They have made it very clear that some stakeholder groups are black listed.
TAC too. TAC holds meetings where only selected people are allowed in. I know. I have been told to leave one meeting this year, not because I could not make a valid contribution, because my contribution was not what they wanted to hear. I was not on their invite list for the second half of the meeting and was told to leave.
Anyway, I think the PIMSS announcement will be made next week with "tame" stakeholders. I think it will be kept as low profile as possible because I think the response to the PIMSS recommendations is going to be a very serious disappointment to the motorcycle & scooter community. I hope I wrong.
Please see if you can get a straight answer on the PIMSS announcement from Minister Mulder when you see him next.
terence.mulder@parliament.vic.gov.au
Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
***********************************************
Dear Damien,
they are doing a release on number plates today (motor
vehicles) so I have a feeling it may be a road safety week theme.
I will keep asking around but your comments on the government being paranoid are spot on.
Luke
WHAT'S UP DOC?
Doctor Napthine, Premier of Victoria, what's up with our inquiry response? We want to be there when you announce your government's response to the 64 PIMSS recommendations.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1409
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members
Email Dr Napthine and ask him why Roads Minister Mulder won't tell us what they are doing with our inquiry results. Stakeholders have a right to be involved.
denis.napthine@parliament.vic.gov.au
JUNE 6, 2013.
The Hon Terry Mulder MLA
Minister for Roads
Victoria
Dear Sir.
I understand the Government is due to announce its' decisions on the 64 recommendations from the Parliamentary Inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety
(Dec 2012) by June 12, 2013.
How will this be done? If it is to be tabled in Parliament, we would like to be in the public gallery. If it is to be done by media release we would like to obtain a copy at the earliest time.
We would very much appreciate information on this as soon as possible.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Tel: 03 9846 8621.
Keep up to date. Visit the Independent Riders' Group facebook page.
Damien
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/inquiries/article/1409
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members
Email Dr Napthine and ask him why Roads Minister Mulder won't tell us what they are doing with our inquiry results. Stakeholders have a right to be involved.
denis.napthine@parliament.vic.gov.au
JUNE 6, 2013.
The Hon Terry Mulder MLA
Minister for Roads
Victoria
Dear Sir.
I understand the Government is due to announce its' decisions on the 64 recommendations from the Parliamentary Inquiry into motorcycle & scooter safety
(Dec 2012) by June 12, 2013.
How will this be done? If it is to be tabled in Parliament, we would like to be in the public gallery. If it is to be done by media release we would like to obtain a copy at the earliest time.
We would very much appreciate information on this as soon as possible.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Tel: 03 9846 8621.
Keep up to date. Visit the Independent Riders' Group facebook page.
Damien
CASEY STONER AM
World MotoGP Champion Casey Stoner gets a gong in the Queen's Birthday honours list. Congratualations Casey.
Casey is a clean-living family man. He is a sportsman who left
motorcycle racing at the top of his game. He has been a great
ambassador for Australia and is an excellent role model for young
Australians.
Membership in The Order of Australia is awarded for service in a particular
locality or field of activity or to a particular group.
www.itsanhonour.gov.au
Casey's award is well-deserved and excellent publicity for
motorcycling. Good PR can save lives on our roads and result in
positive decisions by authorities.
Write to your local paper and/or your favourite bike mag to congratulate
Casey Stoner on his career racing and his AM.
The Order of Australia is our national honours system. It's not British.
Australians nominate Australians and a committee of Australians considers
each nomination and decides on the awards. It is very rare that a non-Australian
gets an Order of Australia award.
Watch our facebook page for the latest on issues effecting your safety and
right to ride.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
Well Done Damien.
Casey certainly has encouraged many riders World Wide
Promoting the sport in a great way!
I met Casey in 2004 he was promoting Safe Riding at Cowes on Phillip Island prior to the Moto-GP
Well Done Casey Stoner :-)
Dale Robert Maggs
Mob 0432 776 458
@convictstock
Independent Riders Group
 |
| Photo courtesy Australian Motorcycle News. |
Casey is a clean-living family man. He is a sportsman who left
motorcycle racing at the top of his game. He has been a great
ambassador for Australia and is an excellent role model for young
Australians.
Membership in The Order of Australia is awarded for service in a particular
locality or field of activity or to a particular group.
www.itsanhonour.gov.au
Casey's award is well-deserved and excellent publicity for
motorcycling. Good PR can save lives on our roads and result in
positive decisions by authorities.
Write to your local paper and/or your favourite bike mag to congratulate
Casey Stoner on his career racing and his AM.
The Order of Australia is our national honours system. It's not British.
Australians nominate Australians and a committee of Australians considers
each nomination and decides on the awards. It is very rare that a non-Australian
gets an Order of Australia award.
Watch our facebook page for the latest on issues effecting your safety and
right to ride.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesman
Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
Well Done Damien.
Casey certainly has encouraged many riders World Wide
Promoting the sport in a great way!
I met Casey in 2004 he was promoting Safe Riding at Cowes on Phillip Island prior to the Moto-GP
Well Done Casey Stoner :-)
Dale Robert Maggs
Mob 0432 776 458
@convictstock
Independent Riders Group
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)