News and events

This section contains information about news and upcoming events (including conferences) that relate to road safety and associated issues among Indigenous people.

If you are aware of information that is suitable for inclusion here, please let us know.

Conferences

Upcoming conferences

9th National Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion: Applying the Science - an Integrated Approach
26 - 28 July 2009, Melbourne, Victoria

This conference series plays an important role in carrying the body of knowledge that supports injury prevention in this country and beyond. The continuity of the conference series over the last 12 years, the links the conferences maintain between researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, and the standards of excellence achieved, are vital ingredients that make these conferences an opportunity for anyone interested in the field of injury prevention and safety promotion.

The theme of this conference, "Applying the Science: an integrated approach" draws attention on the urgent need to apply a renewed and reinvigorated focus to injury as the leading, and most preventable, cause of death in young people in Australia and our region, and a heavy burden in all age groups.

View conference website

For further information:
Mrs Irene Thavarajah
Conference and Events Management Office
Ph: (03) 9905 1344
Fax: (03) 9905 1343
Email: oce@adm.monash.edu.au

Conference calendar of road and transport related conferences: ARRB
A complete calendar of road and transport related conferences is available to view.
View Australian and New Zealand conferences (PDF)
View international conferences (PDF)

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Past conferences

Road Safety Forum and Awards 2008
6 November 2008, Perth, Western Australia

The 2008 Road Safety Forum and Awards were organised by the Insurance Commission of Western Australia. The Forum aimed to bring together professionals with an interest in road safety to further develop their knowledge and expertise, to investigate the progress and future directions for road safety and to identify opportunities to contribute to the success of road safety outcomes. Road Safety Awards announced at the Forum were available in 8 categories: Safe Road Users; Safe Travel Speeds; Safe Roads and Roadsides; Safe Vehicles; Supporting Implementation; and three media awards.

For further information:
Chris Buchanan
Impact Communications
Ph: (08) 9227 0233
Fax: (08) 9227 0244
Email: waroadsafetyforum@impcom.com.au
Website: www.waroadsafetyforum2008.com.au/

Indigenous Road Safety Forum
29 - 31 October 2008, Cairns, Queensland

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government organised the 2008 Indigenous Road Safety Forum in conjunction with Queensland Transport. The Forum consisted of a visit to the Yarrabah Aboriginal Community on Wednesday 29 October, and two days of presentations, workshop discussions and a plenary session on 30 and 31 October.

The Forum aimed to:

  • promote the sharing of resources and information to maintain an ongoing national commitment to addressing road safety issues that affect Indigenous peoples, and
  • make recommendations to produce practical and locally relavant initiatives

For further information:
Annette Bartlett
Ph: (02) 6274 7131
Email: Annette.Bartlett@infrastructure.gov.au

Saferoads 2008: Our Community , Our Safety, Everyone's Responsibility
30 September - 1 October 2008, Melbourne, Victoria

The Saferoads 2008 Conference brought together road safety practitioners, researchers and community representatives. These stakeholders were able to share experiences, develop their knowledge and expertise, and investigate future directions for road safety at the local level. The Conference also provided a forum to identify opportunities to further enhance community involvement in the arrive alive 2008-2017 action plans.

The Saferoads 2008 Conference was presented on behalf of the Saferoads partners: Transport Accident Commission, RACV, Victoria Police, MAV, LGPro and VicRoads in conjunction with Department of Justice and RoadSafe Victoria.

View conference website

For further information:
Email: saferoads2008@meetingplanners.com.au
Phone: + 61 3 9417 0888
Facsimile: + 61 3 9417 0899

High Risk Road Users: Motivating Behaviour Change: What Works and What Doesn't Work?
 18 - 19 September 2008, Brisbane, Queensland

This conference sought to encourage debate on how to:

  • achieve change in high risk behaviours, particularly among persistent offenders including: drink driving, drug driving, unlicensed/disqualified driving and driving at excessive or inappropriate speeds.
  • to motivate behaviour change among high risk road users, including, young drivers. motorcyclists, fatigued drivers, work related drivers, rural and remote road users, older drivers and drink walkers.

View conference website

For further information:
Australasian College of Road Safety Head Office
Ph: (02) 6290 2509
Fax: (02) 6290 0914

23rd ARRB Conference: research partnering with practitioners
30 July - 1 August 2008, Adelaide, South Australia

The theme Research – Partnering with Practitioners focused on bridging the gap between theory and practice. The conference discussed local and international research and case studies which provide innovative and practical solutions to current and emerging issues, such as: road safety engineering, asset management, network management and operations, concrete structures, bituminous surfacing, transport economics, road user behaviour, transport planning and the impact of heavy vehicles.

For further information:
Ms Lorraine Ray
Conference Co-ordinator
ARRB Group
500 Burwood Hwy
Vermont South VIC 3133
Ph: (03) 9881 1680
Fax: (03) 9887 8104
Email: confadmin@arrb.com.au
Website: http://www.arrb.com.au/23Conf/index.html

Third International Road Safety Conference
29 - 30 November 2007, Perth, Western Australia

The third International Road Safety Conference was hosted by Western Australia's Road Safety Council. The principal aim of the conference was to contribute to the existing body of road safety knowledge in an effort to reduce road deaths and serious injuries in the world and in Australia in particular.

 Main themes of the conference included:

  • New innovation on road safety and transportation.
  • Road safety research, developments and investments.
  • Road safety information, enforcement, training and activity for better education.
  • Traffic management schemes and transportation policy and strategy.
  • Road design concepts, care and maintenance.
  • Intelligent vehicles and infrastructure technologies to improve road safety.

For further information:
Email: registration@roadsafetyperth2007.com
Website: http://www.roadsafetyperth2007.com/

Injury in Indigenous Populations: Towards a Safer Future
22 November 2007, Melbourne, Victoria

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trauma Committee organised the 2007 Injury in Indigenous Populations Workshop.

The difficult challenges involved in injury in Indigenous patients were explored. The workshop provided a forum for the development of recommendations relevant to health professionals, professional colleges, health service managers and the broader community.

Speakers included:

  • James Harrison
  • Kathleen Clapham
  • Rebecca Ivers
  • Steve Skov
  • Noel Hayman
  • Joe Motha
  • and others

For further information contact:
Lyn Journeaux
Trauma Committee
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Ph: (03) 9276 7448
Fax: (03) 9276 7432
Email: lyn.journeaux@surgeons.org

Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management 2007 National Conference
31 October - 2 November 2007, Canberra, ACT

The theme of the AITPM conference was: national convergence: let's sort out our differences.
Topics included: national working; transport/land use nexus; traffic engineering; transport modes; network performance; freight and logistics; PPP projects; and case studies.

View conference flyer (PDF - 296KB)

For further information:
Kim Thomas,
PO Box 6684
Adelaide SA 5000
Ph: (08) 8372 7878
Fax: (08) 8373 7766
Email: secretariat@aitpm.com
Website: http://www.aitpm.com/

Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference
17 - 19 October 2007, Melbourne, Victoria

This conference is Australasia's premier annual road safety event, providing a key forum for the exchange of information about current and future road safety initiatives. The theme of this year's conference was: ‘The Way Ahead', and focused on the application of road safety research and at practical and local levels into the future.

The key objectives were:

  • to share information about the latest road safety research and initiatives;
  • to identify the best examples of translating research into action; and
  • to identify key areas for action in research and policy for the future.

For further information:
The Meeting Planners
91 - 97 Islington Street
Collingwood VIC 3006
Ph: (03) 9417 0888
Fax: (03) 9417 0899
Email: roadsafety2007@meetingplanners.com.au
Website: http://www.roadsafetyconference2007.com.au

Transport Conference 2007: Transport - the next 50 years
25 - 27 July 2007, Christchurch, New Zealand

This conference provided the opportunity to hear outstanding and thought-provoking presentations on critically important issues and to meet and network with colleagues from around the world and from across the whole transport spectrum.

The issues discussed at the conference related to the earth's climate, the use of fossil fuels, rapid economic growth, the demand for goods, services, tourism and the need for more and more transport of goods and people both within every country and internationally.

We cannot keep doing the same things we have been doing for the past 50 years. We need new strategic directions and innovative solutions to meet the problems of global climate change, air, water and noise pollution, congestion, growing demand for travel of all sorts and economic growth.

While there are many challenging areas, addressing transport issues can help create a future that is sustainable - economically, socially and environmentally.

View conference program (PDF - 54KB)

For further information:
Conference Secretariat
Transport 07
PO Box 3095
Fitzroy, New Plymouth
New Zealand
Email: lynette@linkandlearn.co.nz
Web: www.transport07.co.nz

Third Indigenous Road Safety Forum


Third Indigenous Road Safety Forum
23 - 25 October 2006, Broome, Western Australia

The following information has been adapted from information on the Australian Transport Safety Bureau website and an ABC media release.

The third Indigenous Road Safety Forum was chaired by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), and organised by the ATSB in partnership with the Office of Road Safety in Western Australia. The forum was an initiative of the National Road Safety Strategy 2001-2010 and provided an opportunity for safety and health practitioners to assess and progress actions to improve road safety for Indigenous people. Research indicates at least a three-fold over-representation of Indigenous people in road-related deaths.

The forum aimed to:

  • Share resources and information to maintain an ongoing national commitment to Indigenous road safety.
  • Make recommendations to produce practical and locally-relevant initiatives to address Indigenous road safety problems.

Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, Jim Lloyd, stated at the forum that the high number of Aboriginal road deaths can be partly attributed to many Indigenous drivers using poor roads. He also called for improved data from all jurisdictions to monitor the success of the latest vehicle safety technologies, such as electronic stability control, that have the potential to prevent deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads.

Mary O'Reeri Third Indigenous Road Safety Forum - artwork Neil McKenzie

On the first day of the forum, the delegates had the opportunity to visit the local community of Beagle Bay, so that the forum participants could experience what the local road safety issues are. The visit included a presentation by Mary O'Reeri, who presented the results of a local survey about road safety issues. Local artist Dwayne Gordon presented the artwork he specifically created for the forum. Two community members sang a song, which conveyed the impact road injury can have on a community.

On the second day, the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet was represented by Professor Neil Thomson (Director) and Ineke Krom (Research Officer). Professor Neil Thomson gave a presentation on the HealthInfoNet Indigenous Road Safety web resource www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/roadsafety and Ineke carried out demonstrations at an HealthInternet café. The development of this resource was initiated in 2003 by the National Road Safety Strategy Panel, which recognised the need for better sharing of knowledge and information about Indigenous road safety - between jurisdictions and, often, between sectors within a single jurisdiction. It is expected that the systematic collection, generation, and dissemination of knowledge about relevant programs, projects and activities will enhance the effectiveness, efficiency and coverage of Indigenous road safety promotion.

Minister Lloyd Colin Edmonston & Kim O'Donnell Group discussion

The Indigenous Road Safety Working Group, comprising representatives from organisations with an interest in Indigenous road safety, considered the views and recommendations put forward by forum delegates and made final recommendations for future action.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has made the recommendations available on a CD-rom, together with some of the presentations and pictures of the Forum. For more info about the CD-rom click here.

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Job vacancies

Currently no information available

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Other news

Government commissions new road safety research
On Friday 15 November 2008 the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, approved funding for two new road safety research projects. The funding will be provided from the Rudd Labor Government's Road Safety Research Grants Program which aims to encourage researchers from a range of disciplines to better our understanding of driver behaviour and the causes of road accidents.

Grant to improve Indigenous road safety
A grant of up to $30,000 to improve Indigenous road safety was announced at the Fourth Indigenous Road Safety Forum in Cairns on 29 October 2008.
The grant, to be administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in 2009-10, will be awarded to a project that makes a significant contribution to reducing road trauma for Indigenous people.

Community Road Safety Grants Program
The Government of Western Australia through the Road Safety Council has made funds available from the Road Trauma Trust Fund to assist in the development of road safety projects which foster widespread community support and participation throughout the State to prevent road crashes causing serious injury and death. Grants are available for projects that focus on key behaviours or risk factors that are the major contributing factors to road crashes in WA and align to the key classes of initiatives described in Arriving Safely, the WA Road Safety Strategy 2003-2007.

Grants are available on a monthly basis with applications closing on the first Friday of each month and determined on the third Friday of the same month.

Other road safety funding opportunities

 

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Last updated: 17 Novemberr 2008