Nick Champion (Wakefield, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the issue of the illegal riding of trail bikes and monkey bikes in various parts of Wakefield, particularly in the northern suburbs, where I live, around Salisbury North, and where my office is, in Munno Para, and also along the coast in places like Middle Beach. For the benefit of the Main Committee, I might just explain what monkey bikes are. They are miniature versions of road bikes. You might get a tiny little Harley-Davidson motorcycle or a tiny little Honda road bike. While they are small, they are incredibly powerful. They are often powered by 50cc motors and they can hurtle along at incredible speeds.

As far as I know, they do not have to meet the Australian design standards. These bikes are available for sale in various parts of the country but they do not meet design standards. The illegal use of these bikes has almost reached plague proportions in some parts of the electorate, as teenagers and some adults ride through parks and along walking trails like the Elephant Walk, near my office in Munno Para. I was walking down there after work one night and one of these bikes hurtled past me. People ride along roads, along median strips, along railway corridors and in car parks.

The last two locations have been the sites of tragic accidents involving two riders. One was riding along a railway corridor in Salisbury North and fell off. He was not wearing a helmet and, tragically, he died. Another young person died in the car park at Munno Para. He was hurtling along on one of these bikes, hit the concrete stoppers that prevent cars from going into the next space, went over the handlebars and hit another one on the other side of the car park. These have been tragic accidents. Obviously, we do not want to see deaths. But my great fear is that we will see a nonrider—a senior or a child who is walking through a park or along a walking trail or suburban street—killed in an accident with these bikes. Such is the frustration with the illegal use of these bikes that there have been some incidents of people acting foolishly—stringing up bits of wire across trees to stop these bike riders. The bikes cause great damage to the native vegetation, they create visual and noise pollution, they create danger for other users of the area and they affect the local amenity.

I have written to both the local councils and the state government and got a petition to the state government going so that special laws can be made to take action on this matter. I also want to see more effective policing of the illegal use of these bikes. As I said, they have been a problem in my area. I am aware that they are also a problem in Frankston, Victoria and that the council there has taken some action. They have also been a problem in the United Kingdom, where special laws were made to confiscate and crush these bikes, which I think is definitely the way to go.

Federal agencies also can look at this issue. I acknowledge that the ACCC will be looking at national product bans and the bans that states and territories make on safety grounds, and monkey bikes will be looked at in that process. I would like to see the importation of these bikes restricted. I think they are very dangerous. They are quite powerful but they do not have the manoeuvrability that you need, and the sooner they are removed from our communities the better.