Launch of the Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative Road Safety Publication 'Making Indonesia's Roads Safer: An Australia - Indonesia Partnership In Road Safety Engineering'

Introduction

Your Excellency Minister Djoko Kirmanto, Minister for Public Works.

Distinguished guests.

Today, I signed an agreement which will become part of the MOU on Transport Cooperation between Australia and Indonesia.

This visit builds on the already strong relationship that has existed between Australia and Indonesia for many years.

I am honoured to be here today to launch a new booklet Making Indonesia's Roads Safer: An Australia - Indonesia Partnership in Road Safety Engineering.

The booklet is produced by the Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative, an Australian program funded through AusAID.

The aim of this program is to help Indonesia improve its economic growth by investing in infrastructure.

This book documents the partnership between your Directorate General for Highways at the Ministry of Public Works and the Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative to improve road transport safety in Indonesia through better road engineering.

It highlights the road safety situation in Indonesia and recent work by the Indonesian Road Safety Engineering Unit.

It shows some of the program's achievements and findings and provides an insight into how the joint work between our two Governments is helping make Indonesian roads safer.

Road safety is critically important to both our nations.

Every year, lives are lost and people are permanently injured as a result of road crashes.

The cost to Australia alone is estimated at about $27 billion each year.

Over the last several decades, Australia has introduced a number of initiatives to improve road safety and change driver behaviour.

Compulsory seatbelts in cars...

...helmet wearing on push-bikes and motorcycles...

...random breath testing for alcohol, roadside drug testing...

...speed cameras and education programs.

These initiatives, together with road engineering improvements, have helped to significantly reduce our road toll.

To paint the picture for you...

...in 1970, a horrifying 3,798 people died on our roads.

Last year, there were 1,490 deaths, a 61 percent reduction over the 40 year period.

And that's despite there being three times the number of cars on the road today compared to 1970, and the population almost doubling.

I am pleased to note that deaths this year on Australian roads are down eight percent on the same period a year ago.

Of course, every death is a tragedy, and in Australia we recently announced a list of measures to further reduce our road toll over the next decade.

Safety must be the first thing to consider in any decision affecting our roads.

This goes for governments, vehicle manufacturers, the trucking industry, automobile clubs and of course car users, cyclists and pedestrians.

Safe roads are a key driver of economic growth.

They bring private sector investment - jobs - into local and regional communities.

To that end, the Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative is working closely with the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation to develop a regulatory and institutional framework for reform.

Of course, the Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative is undertaking other activities as well.

Since mid-2009, it has helped develop national rail and port masterplans...

... two crucial documents guiding the expansion of these important sectors over the next two decades.

The Indonesia Infrastructure Initiative has also been helping to develop the regulatory framework to cover private rail.

We have worked together on the Air Traffic Management Masterplan at Denpasar International Airport.

And since the A$24 million Indonesia Transport Safety Assistance Program (ITSAP) began in 2007...

... more than 700 Indonesian government and industry professionals have received training in the aviation, marine, road and rail sectors ... covering safety investigation, port state control, maritime systems, air navigation and search and rescue.

In addition, three Indonesians have completed the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Transport Safety Investigation diploma in Australia.

These training opportunities have resulted in both formal and informal mentoring relationships which are invaluable now and in the future.

Airservices Australia has worked with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in air traffic systems and management.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has provided training and technical assistance to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in safety management systems and airworthiness audits.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has conducted three joint civil search and rescue exercises with your National Search and Rescue Agency.

We also worked together on shipping standards, and I note that Indonesia has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organization Council.

Conclusion

I commend AusAID, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and all the transport authorities involved in this partnership for their hard work over the past few years.

I am pleased to launch the Making Indonesia's Roads Safer booklet, which showcases some of their work.

And I look forward to continuing our co-operation into the future.

[ENDS]