Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. Currently, e-bikes do not have to meet minimum quality or safety standards on import. The result has been a proliferation of e-bikes that can be easily modified to go at speeds well over 50 kilometres an hour without a single push of the pedal. Yesterday, I introduced a bill, the Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) Bill 2025, to ensure e-bikes imported into Australia meet international best practice standards, and multiple state transport ministers have also written to you seeking federal leadership on this issue. Minister, will you act to ensure imported e-bikes are safe before there are further tragedies, including in my electorate of Mackellar?

Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mackellar for the question and for her advocacy for the safer use of what are called 'personality mobility devices' in our communities. The member is right that e-scooters and e-bikes both bring a range of benefits to our communities through encouraging more active transport and reducing our reliance on cars. We're particularly seeing an increase of families in inner cities and suburbs using these devices to help kids get to school. However, these devices do also bring risks. I know we have recently seen a number of tragic incidents involving e-bikes and e-scooters. They are the subject of inquiries in both Queensland—I acknowledge the Queensland members of parliament who are here—and WA at the moment, because it has largely been states' and territories' regulatory systems that have seen e-bikes and e-scooters allowed in a range of settings across our local communities.

As I understand the member's private member's bill, it focuses on listing specific types of mobility devices as road vehicles under a system that has largely been designed for cars and trucks on roads. It is clear that a broader and coordinated national system is needed for both the safer use and the regulation of these devices. It is why, at the meeting of state and territory transport ministers last month, I placed this issue on the agenda. At the meeting, state and territory ministers agreed to develop an integrated regulatory framework for these devices to improve rider and pedestrian safety. That work is being led by the Western Australian government with support from the National Transport Commission. It will consider issues including compliance, regulation, rules for use, and the development and ongoing monitoring of standards. This work will report back to infrastructure and transport ministers later this year.

Additionally, there have also been concerns raised around fires caused by poor-quality lithium-ion batteries. Work is currently already underway through the Consumer Ministers Network on a national approach to the safe use of lithium-ion batteries in these devices under the Australian Consumer Law.