The NSW government recently announced reforms to driver disqualification laws which are intended to be more “proportionate”, according to Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey.
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Ms Pavey made the announcement on Monday the 14th of August.
She was joined by Attorney General Mark Speakman, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Sarah Mitchell and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson.
“The laws will make disqualification periods and penalties for unauthorised driving offences more proportionate with other driving offences while keeping road safety front and centre,” Ms Pavey said.
Andrew Koutsoufis, Commander of the Hume Local Area Control (LAC), believes that the changes are necessary to “send out a strong message” to those who flout disqualification laws.
“It’s not acceptable behaviour. If they don’t learn from their mistakes, and keep making the same ones again, we have to make sure there are consequences to their behaviour,” he said.
The primary offenders, according to Inspector Alison Brennan of the Yass Police, are the interstate travelers passing through the Hume.
“Yass is a small community, and generally the residents, they know us and we know them, and it’s generally a very law-abiding group,” Inspector Brennan said.
“But we’re in a spot where we’re between two major cities, and the Hume Highway is a major arterial road for the state.
“So it’s certainly relevant to our area. Not necessarily to our small community, but to people that are travelling through our sector.”