Cynics might wonder whether it is a genuine attempt to stamp out bushfires, or simply a means of increasing state revenue - but from this coming January 1 it will be an offence carrying a $ 300 fine to smoke in any of the New South Wales 860 National Parks - and that includes beaches,picnic areas, walking trails. This new diktat also applies to those in boats on the water, and in cars - but it does exclude the main arterial state and Federal highways that pass through designated National Parks.
It looks like providing a fines bonanza for council rangers because the entire foreshore of Sydney Harbour is zoned a National Park. Specific areas such as sporting grounds and bus stops are already zoned smoke free, but this new legislation virtually makes it an offence to light up a smoke anywhere in the greater part of inner Sydney. Having a smoke while watching the New Year's eve fireworks will join being in possession of any alcohol as offences that may see the crowds that line Sydney Harbour dwindle from this new year onwards.
It seems that there are more restrictions in the pipeline. A parliamentary committee on road safety is about to propose a mandatory imposition of speed control devices on vehicles owned by serial speed offenders. The maximum speed permitted in this state is 110 kph on main highways and when offenders reach a designated number of speeding convictions they will be required to have a speed limiter fitted to their vehicle - at their expense.
It sounds simple, but motoring organizations are expressing caution. Anyone who has experienced the hazards of trying to overtake a B-Double know that a burst of speed is often the difference between risk and safety. Imposition of any device that takes control out of the hands of a driver can deliver unintended consequences.
Perhaps the most contentious proposal is to extend the point to point use of speed cameras to detect speeding offences by those driving cars. This system is already up and running and applies to the trucking industry and the cameras in place on the national road network only need legislative approval - to start handing out fines to car drivers.
It is contended that fixed speed camera locations quickly become known and drivers reduce speed in their vicinity - and increase speed once they have passed this danger point. The value of point to point monitoring is that the entire journey is broken up into constant monitoring, section by section - and the computers calculate the time needed to travel each distance at the legal speed. Those that arrive at each check point too early receive a speeding fine in the mail.
Once again, driver discretion in avoiding danger can result in a fractional excess in distance covered and in some circumstances this could result in multiple fines imposed over the length of a single journey. It is quite possible that driving from Sydney to Albury could see multiple distance checks calculated, and then the entire Sydney/Albury subjected to an overall speed check. A car with a minutely incorrect speed reading could cost that driver a bunch of speeding fines - and automatic loss of license.
Unfortunately, there is a certain inevitability about the correlation between implementing safety regulations and the pressing need to raise government revenue. Once the cash flow starts, it becomes indispensable to government needs and all constraints fly out the window.
Point to point speed monitoring of cars has the potential to become a major cash cow. The steady flash of those cameras will see the dollars rolling in to treasury and the pressure will grow to extend coverage - in the name of road safety - to every road in the state.
A similar situation will arise with that smoking ban in National Parks. An angler sitting in his boat a mile offshore who lights up a smoke is only doing damage to his own lungs, but you can be sure that the revenue collection people will be using binoculars under pressure from their masters to meet collection quotas.
Such is the race for dollars in this twenty-first century !
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