2025-05-14
New legislation calls for 30km/h default speeds on local streets during National Road Safety Week.
In a move to make local streets safer and more liveable, Greens MP Kobi Shetty today announced a new bill to introduce safer speeds of 30km/h on local streets across NSW.
Introduced to Parliament during National Road Safety Week, the bill aims to address the increasing number of serious injuries and fatalities on local roads, especially among vulnerable groups like children, older adults, and people walking or cycling.
Kobi Shetty MP, Member for Balmain, said:
“It’s Road Safety Week and I’m asking my colleagues in Parliament to support our vision for a city where streets are built as shared spaces for people - not just cars.
“This bill is about creating calmer, safer, more liveable neighbourhoods. It’s about ensuring everyone is safe on our streets, regardless of whether they’re walking, riding their bike, or driving their car.
“A person struck by a vehicle at 50km/h has only a 10% chance of survival. At 30km/h, the survival rate increases to 90%. The evidence is really clear – we need to prioritise safer speeds on local streets to keep everyone, particularly younger kids, safe.”
“This has been done in other cities around the world and it’s time for NSW to catch up with global best practice.”
Dr Jennifer Kent, Spokesperson for 30 Please said:
“When it is your child, friend or family, one person killed while walking or riding a bike on NSW streets is one death too many. Yet 100 families experience this grief in NSW annually.
“Over 4,000 of us experience the ordeal of being hospitalised as a result of road trauma while walking or cycling our streets. Our grief is amplified by the knowledge that this suffering is unnecessary.
“In Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark pedestrian deaths have decreased by 40-60 per cent over the last 20 years, with more people walking and cycling than ever.
“In Australia, attempts to make our streets safer lag well behind global standards. A 30km/h default speed is the most cost-effective evidence-based way to make our streets safe. Local streets are the streets we call home, and they should feel safe for everyone.”
Sarah Stace, President of Better Streets said:
“People tell us they love getting outside, chatting to their neighbours and seeing their kids outside playing. But many local streets don’t support this because vehicles are travelling too fast.
“The United Nations Stockholm Declaration on Road Safety states that the speed limit, where vehicles and people mix frequently, should be 30 kilometres per hour except on routes where strong evidence shows that higher speeds are safe.
“My own child was hit while walking to school. He survived because the driver was going slow enough that the impact was minimal, and I’m so grateful to that driver for being cautious. The penalty for walking or riding to school shouldn’t be to die or be maimed by a vehicle.
“Slowing down on local streets only adds a few seconds to the journey. I don’t think that’s too much to ask to make streets safer for kids and the elderly. That way, everyone in the community benefits.”
Cities around the world from Spain and Wales to Bogotá and Ho Chi Minh City—are adopting safer speeds of 30km/h for local streets.
This is something achievable for NSW streets that would significantly improve safety for all.
The bill does not apply to arterial or major roads but focuses on local streets where people live, walk, ride their bikes, and play.
The Greens will continue working with community groups, researchers, and safety advocates to build momentum for the change.