The Legislative Council has sent a strong message to the Rockliff Government that it expects stronger regulation of quad bikes and ATVs in line with numerous Coroners’ recommendations to prevent injury and save lives.
The Greens motion as passed by Council, calls on government to implement Coroner Simon Cooper’s 2017 recommendations from his report into seven quad bikes deaths in Tasmania between 2012-15. There was no action by government on those recommendations then or since.
14 year old Jocelyn Daguman died in a quad bike accident at Boyer on Regatta Day 2023.
She is one of more than 20 Tasmanians who have died in quad bike or ATV accidents since the year 2000. The number of serious injuries far outnumber that toll.
Three people have died on quad bikes or ATVs in Tasmania so far this year. So many loved ones will be devastated.
Nine years ago, Coroner Simon Cooper investigated seven quad bike deaths in Tasmania between 2012-2015. He recommended increased community education around the use of helmets and seatbelts, and prohibitions around the use of quad bikes and ATVs by children.
Despite voicing support, the Liberal Government did not implement these recommendations. The Greens have been asking questions of the government for years now as to why, but we haven’t received a reasonable justification for failing to act to save lives and prevent injury.
If the Liberal Government had acted on the Coroner’s 2017 recommendations, in all likelihood lives would have been saved. In his report into the investigation of Jocelyn’s death in 2024, Coroner Robert Webster called on the government to implement the outstanding recommendations from Coroner Cooper’s report.
Jocelyn’s parents, Julius Daguman and Sonia van de Heuvel, have been calling for the government to act on quad bike safety to prevent a repeat of their tragedy. Their petition, which I was honoured to sponsor, received 418 signatures.
It’s on behalf of Jocelyn’s family that I brought this motion to the house. I express sincere gratitude to my Legislative Council colleagues for expressing their condolences to Jocelyn’s parents and passing this motion which respects their wishes for change.
Supporting Coroner Cooper’s recommendations, the motion calls on government to provide increased community education and promotion of the use of helmets, and legislation that:
- Prohibits children under the age of 16 from operating adult quad bikes;
- Prohibits children under the age of 16 from operating youth-sized quad bikes other than in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; and
- Prohibits children under the age of 6 from operating any quad bike under any circumstances.
The passing of this motion by the Legislative Council recognises that the Liberal Government’s action so far to prevent quad bike and ATV tragedies has been inadequate.
It’s a strong call for the Rockliff Government to act to prevent future tragedies by strengthening quad bike and ATV safety requirements, particularly to protect children and young people.
