September 20, 2016
Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien has been appointed chairman of the Queensland Black Spot Consultative Panel.
Mr O’Brien, a former road traffic crash investigator, will work with a range of community and road user groups, industry members and government agencies to allocate funding under the Federal Government’s Black Spot Program.
Transport Minister Darren Chester said Mr O’Brien would bring a range of skills to the role, including a strong knowledge of Queensland road safety issues.
“As a rural-based Member of Parliament and former police officer, Llew is well-versed in the issues facing many communities in terms of road safety, with regional areas often disproportionately affected by road crashes,” Mr Chester said.
“He has seen firsthand the terrible impact crashes have on families, friends and the wider community and knows the importance of fixing priority danger spots to prevent accidents occurring.
“His years of experience in working collaboratively with a broad cross-section of the community will also be invaluable in this role.”
Mr O’Brien said too many communities and families had been touched by the horror and tragedy of vehicle accidents.
“The Black Spot Program helps to eliminate the most deadly accident sites and I look forward to working with local communities, motoring groups and emergency services to making local roads safer,” he said.
The Australian Government has committed $500 million to the Black Spot Program over five years to 2018-19, which includes an additional $200 million over two years from 2015-16 to improve road safety across the nation.
- To nominate a Black Spot, visit the Federal Government’s Black Spot website
