Quad Bike roundtable today in a bid to end fatalities

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI and JESSICA ROUSE

With more than thirty quad bike deaths in the state since 2011 including the death of a 60-year-old man in the Upper Hunter earlier this year, NSW Labor has decided to convene a roundtable on quad bike safety.

The roundtable taking place today will see stakeholders get together to look at a range of strategies including age restrictions, to try and prevent further quad bike deaths. It also comes after a recent examination of reforms in Queensland.

 Representatives at the roundtable include The Royal Australian College of Surgeons, NSW Farmers Association, Country Women's Association, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and Quad Safe Australia.

Shadow Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, Yasmin Catley says we've already seen too many quad bike deaths this year alone. 

"It's time that we bring together all of the stakeholders to address the problems of accidents and then with the use of quad bikes so we're bringing all of the stakeholders together to have that discussion so that we can talk about coming up with some resolutions that will address the issues of death and safety on quad bikes."

She also said the government had been invited to attend, but they declined. She believes the best and only way to come to a solution is a joint effort, but it won't work if only one side comes to the party.

"The government have been invited but unfortunately they have declined to come and it's really quite disappointing I have to say. This is something that the Labor Party want to have a bipartisan approach on and of course, that should be the case because when we're addressing any tragedy like this you need to have a bipartisan approach," said Yasmin Catley.