Southern Midlands Council (SMC) has joined 22 other Tasmanian Councils in entering a partnership agreement with the State’s Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER) to increase safety on local roads.
The Community Road Safety Partnership (CRSP) program aims to maximise the delivery of road safety activities by linking with existing community networks, such as local road safety groups, police, community liaison committees and community safety organisations.
Advisory committees set up in each municipality use the objectives of the Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy to identify issues of concern. They are then assisted in the development and implementation of strategies to alleviate any problems.
The first partnership was launched under the program in 2003, when Kingborough Council, located ten kilometres south of Hobart, signed up to the program.
Southern Midlands Mayor, Councillor Anthony Bisdee, said Council introduced the CRSP to reduce the incidence and severity of road crashes by encouraging communities to be conscious of road safety and responsible as road users.
“It is recognised that substantial benefits can be achieved by involving the local community in road safety activities,” he said. “Through the CRSP program, DIER will work with our community organisations to embrace road safety issues using ‘grassroots’ community development processes. This is being achieved primarily through raising public awareness, conducting community education programs and implementing local road safety solutions, which target high risk road user behaviour.”
Currently the CRSP approach is being used to address a range of activities across Tasmanian communities, including:
- using digital speed display trailers to target ‘high speed’
locations - learner driver mentor programs to assist disadvantaged
people to gain the required 50 hours on road learner driving
experience - designated driver programs in hotels and clubs
- free breath testing programs at community events where
alcohol is prevalent - free coffee at participating cafes to encourage tired drivers
to rest.
Mayor Bisdee said Council and the Department look forward to working with the community to introduce further innovative road safety solutions in the Southern Midlands.
For further information contact Alysse Gavlik, DIER Road Safety Consultant, on (03) 6233 6643.
