Ministerial Statement: State acts on potential terrorist threats

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
29/04/2008

State acts on potential terrorist threats

State parliament is considering laws to help protect surface transport operators and the community from the threat of terrorism.

Introducing the Transport Security (Counter Terrorism) Bill to the house, Transport Minister John Mickel said the Bill is ground-breaking. It sets out specific requirements for ferries, buses and trains to reduce the risk posed by terrorism to their operation.

"We have seen from events overseas that surface transport for the public is a target for terrorists - you only have to remember the horrific bombings of the rail system in Madrid in 2004, London's rail and bus system in 2005, and the Mumbai rail system last year," Mr Mickel said.

"Under this Bill, those services that are considered to be at an elevated risk of a terrorist attack, or threat, will be declared to be Security Identified-Surface Transport Operations.

"A Security Identified-Surface Transport Operation must conduct a counter-terrorism risk assessment as well as prepare and implement security plans.

"Security Identified-Surface Transport Operations will be required to review, audit and exercise their security plans annually.

"The Bill also provides for an annual assurance statement to the Director-General of Queensland Transport that these actions have been completed and they comply with the law.

"Queensland Transport will assist industry to conduct risk assessments, and develop and implement security plans, which will also help to make sure assessments and plans are prepared in a consistent and considered approach throughout the state.

"This process will also build on existing risk management projects conducted in 2005 for buses and ferries and in 2007 for transport precincts," he said.

"The Queensland Government is determined to do all it can to keep surface transport systems safe."

"This is just the start - we must do everything we can on this front," Mr Mickel said.

"This legislation also supports the state government's overall Counter-Terrorism Strategy to better fulfil the vision of a state ready to prevent, or to act in the event of, a terrorist threat or incident so we can minimise the impacts on our communities."

April 29, 2007

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[ozbob]

Clearly a major constraint to any security plan is the gross overloading and congestion on public transport.

Investing in much improved capacity is a prerequisite for a more safe and secure system.

[Mozz]

FFS - as a former active member of a service which is dedicated to the protection of life and prevention of harm to property I can understand the need for security frameworks and these need to be in place. Quite a good spin story however, it results in no more drivers, no more trains, no more services.

However as a frustrated commuter on public transport which is overcrowded beyond the safe engineering limits of those who design the trains, with inadequate trains to support the previous, current and future demands, with current QR staffing that is inadequate to handle current loadings. I support attention to the basics.

More trains, more tracks, more drivers, more services. I for one can't believe that the 44 carriages ordered in 2004 will not be fully delivered for another 3 years at the end of 2010 - more resources are required now.