Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week is national Rail Safety Week, and I'm very proud to wear their ribbon. Each year in August, the rail industry combines to raise the profile of community rail safety by targeting specific areas of concern and raising the importance of staying safe around railway tracks and trains.

This week, TrackSAFE is launching a new campaign focusing on regional rail safety. The 'Expect the Unexpected: Look out for Trains' campaign reminds us that trains can appear at any time—especially when we least expect them. Trains can't swerve nor stop suddenly, so level crossings need to be approached always with caution.

Level crossings in the north and north-west of Tasmania are a specific area of safety concern. Sadly, there are still around 40 instances per year in Tasmania of drivers or pedestrians ignoring level-crossing lights and bells, putting themselves and others in danger.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union support—and I am very proud to be a supporter of them—around 250 people in Tasmania who work as train and bus drivers, cleaners, train controllers, track maintenance workers and administrators. The RTBU met earlier this year with the Premier and Minister for Transport to suggest ways to fix the minority Liberal government's failing public transport issues—and there are a lot. Here's hoping that they make some headway, because we know that Metro bus drivers are certainly leaving the sector in droves.