The Queensland Office of Industrial Relations is proposing changes to workplace regulations regarding quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles which would introduce a number of legal requirements for their use as work equipment. These changes are not good things for shooters.
In particular, the changes include:
- Mandatory helmet use for quad bikes AND SSVs
- Banning under-16s from operating or even being a passenger in/on an adult-sized quad bike/SSV
- Requiring seat belt usage for some SSVs (where fitted)
While these regulations are only supposed to apply to quad bikes or SSVs being used for work, the lines between work and recreation on rural properties can be quite blurry – for example, if you are going hunting for recreation on a property and stop to fix a broken fence, does that count as work? What about if someone’s been maintaining water pumps on the property then decides to go and do some hunting on the property for recreation afterwards? Are they “working”?
It’s obvious that these regulations will end up becoming the law for all quad bike/SSV use if they are implemented, which is going to make using these vehicles for hunting a lot more difficult and possibly even impractical – so we need to speak up now and say “No, this is needless regulation for the sake of regulation” and nip it in the bud before it can be implemented.
In addition to putting in a submission to the OIR, please contact your local MP with your objections and get in touch with any outdoor/off-road organisations you might also be a member of and ask them to lodge formal submissions against these regulations as well.
Submissions can be made to [email protected] until August 31st .
