Last year marked the fifth anniversary of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

In 2015, Australia’s First Nations people were invited to parliament by the Australian Government to discuss and advise on working towards a referendum, which would recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution. A Referendum Council was appointed and it spent six months speaking with more than 1200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across Australia in a series of 12 meetings, known as The Dialogues.

In May 2017, this all came together at Uluru for the First Nations National Constitutional Convention, where more than 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates from across
Australia gathered. Upon reflection of The Dialogues, the delegates spent several days writing a 440-word statement which we now know as The Uluru Statement from the Heart.

This statement is an invitation to the Australian people in the form of a series of recommendations to all people across the country, asking for three key reforms: Voice, Treaty and Truth. What followed was one of the most significant moments in the country’s modern history. The Statement we see today includes the signatures of all the delegates who gathered at Uluru for the convention. This was then presented to the nation.

So, what does it mean to First Nations people?

Dale Agius
Commissioner for First Nations Voice to the South Australian Parliament 

“As Commissioner for First Nations Voice to the South Australian Parliament, I have heard directly from First Nations South Australians on what the Uluru Statement from the Heart means for them.

First Nations people across the state of South Australia have told me that they have a sense of optimism for the future. This is despite the exclusion and inequalities that our people experience, which is felt particularly in regional and remote areas of South Australia. First Nations people continue to tell me they want to have a say at the highest levels. They want their perspective to be heard and considered on the decisions that affect the lives of themselves, their families and their communities.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for a structural reform – a Voice to Parliament – so more inclusive advice can be heard by decision-makers at the highest levels. The Voice to Parliament is an opportunity for First Nations communities to come together with a sense of purpose and meaning to influence positive outcomes and to progress their aspirations.”

Kellie Graves
Generaal Manager of Tjindu Foundation

“As a First Nations Person, I would like a say on matters that affect me, my children and my communities at the highest level. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation
for all Australians to walk alongside First Nations people in a movement that ensures a better future for not just First Nations People but all Australians. I encourage everyone to take some time to explore and understand the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its three core pillars: Voice, Treaty and Truth.”

Tanya Hosch
Executive General Manager – Inclusion and Social Policy at the AFL

“The Uluru Statement has been developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as an invitation for unity. As a nation, there are many actions we can still take together to build this unity, and changing the Constitution to ensure the voices and perspectives of First Nations peoples are heard and recognised is a critical foundation to this. The opportunity presented by the referendum on this question is for us all to come together in a positive and important gesture for positive change that the entire country will benefit from.”

April Lawrie
Commmissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, and Tjindu Chairperson

“The statement is important because it invites all Australians to work alongside Aboriginal people to create spaces for Aboriginal people to be change makers at the highest level and which has been out of our reach for so long. The statement invites truth telling, treaty and voice as well, creating opportunities to cultivate a forgiving and compassionate and harmonious society. This can only lead to better outcomes for Aboriginal people all round. And if you get it right for Aboriginal people, it can only lead to a better future for Australia.”

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Public transport gets me from home to work and back again. Every day, the 415 pulls up at my stop, I board, acknowledge the bus driver and pull out my metroCARD.

Recently, I swiped my trusty blue plastic against the validator, it beeped indignantly, flashed a red light and read ‘Card balance low’.

There was only $2.73 to my name, which isn’t enough for a full fare at any time of the day. Thankfully, the sympathetic bus driver let me ride to Salisbury Interchange where I topped up at one of the few ticket vending machines along the Gawler Central line. While I frantically added credit to my account, I almost missed my connecting bus.

Even for a regular public transport user, this was an extremely annoying inconvenience. How would someone who rarely uses public transport cope? What about a visitor or tourist? They’d probably struggle.

As we set our sights on Adelaide becoming a more connected, liveable and smart city, let’s take a trip around the world to see how other transport networks are making their systems more accessible for users.

Ticketing apps

Conductors punching holes in paper tickets and bus passes with stamps were the norm when I first started catching public transport. In the 1980s they were replaced with magnetic strip tickets, including the popular multi-trips, and later the metroCARD.

Digital is the next step in the evolution of public transport ticketing.

Saskatoon Transit in Saskatchewan, Canada introduced the TGo fare payment system in 2021. This all-in-one experience allows passengers to purchase a range of tickets, including single, day and monthly passes, and keep them on a smartphone app. They just scan their mobiles on a validator when boarding. The same ticket can be transferred to other routes.

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South Australians have come together and worked hard to keep the state moving during the COVID-19 pandemic, however there are more challenges ahead as we transition towards recovery.

The State Election is fast approaching, and soon South Australians will be stepping into polling booths and making their vote count.

RAA’s playing its part, advocating for more than 780,000 South Australians and lobbying all parties for critical improvements in infrastructure, road safety and education, and regional tourism.

“South Australia is in an enviable position on a lot of fronts, but there are still areas we can improve,” says RAA General Manager Community and Corporate Affairs Emily Perry.

“We need to take action now so we can remain a vibrant sustainable and prosperous place to live for many years to come.

RAA is working with all political parties to get positive outcomes for both our members and the community.”

These six policy actions will help South Australia achieve that long-term success.

1. Create safer road users

People aged 16 to 24 have accounted for 21% of the fatalities on South Australian roads over the past two years.

That’s staggering considering they only make up 13% of the state’s population. The stats surrounding the safety of our smallest vehicle passengers is also concerning, with about 88%of child restraints being fitted incorrectly.

RAA believes road safety education, along with improvements to infrastructure, can help reduce fatalities on South Australian roads.

RAA runs several community education programs to improve road safety, including Street Smart High and Years Ahead.

It also supports the State Government’s draft SA Road Safety Strategy to 2031.

However, to complement the strategy, RAA would like the government to promote and recognise the benefits of greater professional driving instruction through driving lessons.

It would also like the government to establish a child restraint fitting network and reform child restraint legislation.

2. Create safer and more accessible road networks

RAA’s 2021 Risky Roads survey revealed that the community is concerned about SA’s road network, with RAA receiving more than 2000 nominations.

Main South Rd at Aldinga and Horrocks Hwy to the state’s Mid North featured heavily in the top 10 riskiest roads.

Meanwhile, the junction at Curtis Rd and Heaslip Rd at Angle Vale received the title of SA’s riskiest intersection.

RAA takes into consideration the public’s concerns about infrastructure problems. That’s why RAA is recommending the State Government prioritises several projects to improve road safety.

This includes:

• committing to the staged duplication of the Augusta, Sturt and Dukes highways and the reduction of heavy vehicle traffic on the South Eastern Fwy
• establishing a road maintenance fund with a minimum value of $600 million
• upgrading metropolitan roads to reduce congestion, and
• repairing regional roads like Victor Harbor Rd and Main Rd at McLaren Vale.

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When bicycles first hit the scene, they were considered playthings for the idle rich. But when they became a serious mode of transport, laws were introduced to govern their use and interaction with pedestrians and other road users.

German Karl Drais invented the Laufmaschine ‒ the precursor to the modern bike ‒ in 1817. It was also known as the ‘dandy horse’ because it was trendy among England’s fashionable elite.

However, it lacked a major piece of equipment that’s since become popular among cyclists – pedals. It was powered by the rider’s feet, not unlike a toddler’s balance bike or Fred Flintstone’s car.

Pedals arrived well before chains and gears, and they were attached directly to the front wheel axle on bikes like the ridiculously unstable penny farthing.

The bigger the front wheel, the faster the bike could go and from a greater height the rider could fall.

The real game changer was the chain-drive bicycle, perfected by Englishman John Kemp Starley in 1885.

Using front and rear cogs connected by a chain, it amplified pedal power allowing for smaller wheels to be used.

Sold as the Rover Safety Bicycle (the same company later produced the Land Rover), its design is similar to the bikes we ride today.

It led a transport revolution in Europe and the United States, and bikes became the main form of mechanical personal transportation until the early to mid-20^th century.

Not only were they relatively cheap and easy to maintain, they helped get a lot of horse poop off the streets.

With so many bikes on the road, rules were needed to keep everyone safe. Cycling laws, like the requirement for a bike to have a warning device (bell or horn), were all about alerting pedestrians and horse riders that a cyclist was approaching.

But as cars became more prevalent, new rules and infrastructure focussed on the safety of cyclists.

Here’s a brief background to some of our major cycling-related laws.

Protecting your head

In the very early days, bicycle helmets were little more than leather strips that prevented noggin grazes during bike races.

This ‘hairnet’ style was used well into the 20^th century. The next major development was a model comprising a hard-shell over polystyrene, popularised in the mid-70s by the Bell Biker helmet – not unlike a construction helmet without the peak.

Of course, no cycle down helmet memory lane would be complete without mention of the iconic Stackhat.

Hailing from that giddy period of sensible fashion choices – the 1980s – the orangey yellow Stackhat was more about function than ’80s cool, plus it was one of the only helmets to comply with the Australian Standard of the day.

The importance of head protection was promoted in a government ad fronted by Molly Meldrum.

Improvements in materials, fitting systems, ventilation and ‒ thankfully ‒ style followed, leading to the vast range of colours, shapes and prices we see today.

The hard shell has all but disappeared with a thinner ‘soft shell’ around dense polystyrene now the norm.

In 1990, Victoria became the first state to introduce mandatory helmet laws, followed by the rest of the country.

Regulations are pretty much uniform nationwide, but in the NT riders over the age of 17 are only required to wear a helmet if they’re cycling on a road.

In Australia, all bicycle helmets must comply with Australian/New Zealand Standard 2063:2008.

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As the state heads to an election next year, RAA will continue to advocate in the interest of our members.

• $22.5 million committed to match the Commonwealth Government’s funding upgrade of the intersection of Marion Rd and Sir Donald Bradman Dr.
• $100 million to complete the next stage of the duplication of the Augusta Hwy from near Nantawarra to Lochiel.
• Business case development for the Greater Adelaide freight bypass, with the aim of ultimately reducing freight traffic on the South Eastern Fwy into the city.
• Funding for driver training programs.
• $99 million for a railway station refresh program and the rollout of next generation ticket validators on trams and buses.

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