President's Column
Quad Bike Safety Plan welcomed and justified

The statistics around quad bike accidents in Queensland are a powerful indictment of the status quo and justify the need for change. In Queensland there have been over 1500 hospitalisations between 2009 and 2013, the highest figures in the country. In the past 15 years Queensland has accounted for 69 deaths from quad bikes incidents, 30 per cent of the national total. These damning figures simply don’t lie and something needed to be done. The Coroner’s findings in an inquest into the quad bike-related deaths of nine Queenslanders left the Government with no other choice than to act.

The Government’s ‘Statewide Plan for Improving Quad Bike Safety in Queensland’ was introduced last week to address the unacceptable levels of quad bike death and injury related incident and the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has commended this action.

The two major initiatives of the plan are to raise awareness of the risks associated with quad bike use and enhance operator skill and safety. The plan will focus on community education and awareness about quad bike safety risks, improving quad bike operator skill and safety, and ensure Government leadership in promoting quad bike safety. This will involve certain mandatory training, helmets enforcement, prohibitions for children and limitations on passenger carriage.

The QFF appreciates the Government’s holistic approach to Workplace Health and Safety that brought together relevant departments and industry representatives to consult on the plan. The resulting changes to quad bike regulation and interactions are consistent with community and industry expectations.

QFF will work with Government to implement a plan to engage our agriculture, regional and rural communities to see an end to unnecessary quad bike incidents in Queensland.

I encourage everyone to read the plan at www.worksafe.qld.gov.au

QFF and its member organization will work with Government to implement a plan to engage our agriculture, regional and rural communities to see an end to unnecessary quad bike incidents in Queensland. It is essential that industry plays its part in helping transition positive change to entrenched attitudes and practices that have been taking place for too long on our farms.