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ABC News
12 minutes ago
- ABC News
Anthony Beven says NT's justice system is in crisis
Anthony Bevan from the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) says children as young as 11 are being held overnight in police watch houses.
ABC News
12 minutes ago
- ABC News
Calls for illegal e-bikes to be seized by police cheered at parliamentary hearing on Gold Coast
Calls for police to be given powers to seize and destroy illegal e-bikes have received cheers and applause at a public hearing examining the safety of e-transport devices in Queensland. More than 1,200 submissions have been made to the Queensland parliamentary inquiry into e-transport use and safety, which was announced by the state government in May. A public hearing on the Gold Coast today heard evidence from health authorities, local government, a business lobby group and an e-bike retailer. All presented their perspectives and gave potential solutions on how to manage the increasing popularity of e-transport devices. But those in attendance gave their most vocal support to members of the public sharing their experiences. Southern Gold Coast resident Ellis Williams told the hearing that people in his community were afraid to walk in some areas because of speeding e-bike riders. He said police needed more power to take illegal e-bikes off the street. "Go to the local high school and look at all the bikes parked along the fence … I would say the majority of them would be deemed illegal," Mr Williams said. "Issue police with a warrant to go in there, seize those bikes and destroy them. "That would solve a big part of the problem as they're not cheap to replace." The impassioned speech by Mr Williams was met with applause from the dozens of people who attended the mid-morning hearing. Pedal-assisted e-bikes are legal in Queensland, but riding electric motorbikes or modified e-bikes on public roads or footpaths is an offence. Gold Coast resident John Cohen also received vocal support for his suggestion that all motorised vehicles be registered to a particular owner. "License and register the legal bikes, seize and burn the rest," he said. "It's always been a fact that anything with a motor doesn't mix with pedestrians. Head of product for e-bike retailer Ampd Bros Paul Sullivan said Queensland's legislation was "outdated, inconsistent and unhelpful" for people who wanted to do the right thing. When asked by the committee if speed and power could be restricted to improve safety on e-transport devices, Mr Sullivan said more focus was needed on improving rider behaviour, rather than the devices themselves. "Anyone who wants to get around technological boundaries can very quickly work out how to do it and it's usually the younger generations that first figure it out," he said. "If licensing and registration is going to work to make things safer and help identify people doing the wrong thing, then we'd support that as well." Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service data analyst Andy Menzies told the hearing emergency department presentations related to e-transport devices had increased every year since 2015. Mr Menzies said the health service had seen more than 730 people seek emergency department treatment for e-transport device injuries in the past 12 months, a sharp increase on the previous year. "What we're seeing in the growth of e-transport presentations is that they're now the highest rate of injury of any mode of transport," he said. Shaun Robertson, the nursing director for the health service's emergency departments, told the hearing most injuries were recorded in males aged between 16 and 30. "But we have seen a slight increase in the last 12 months in female representation," he said. "I think that's probably down to the availability of these devices." Burleigh MP Hermann Vorster, who was at the hearing but was not formally a member of the inquiry, said the committee would hear from high school students at a closed meeting. "This is the group that is over-represented amongst users," he said. "Obviously the school administration is dealing with a massive complexity with workplace health and safety issues, potential battery fires — all sorts of things going on." The parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility safety will next hold public hearings in the Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Brisbane. The committee is due to table its report in the Queensland parliament in March next year.
News.com.au
12 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Steven May faces the tribunal for bump on Carlton's Francis Evans
One of footy's great tribunal test cases is set to unfold. Will it be weeks or will Steven May escape suspension for his bump on Francis Evans? Follow the case as it happens LIVE.
