Call to reinstate tractors rollover protection rebate

The Nationals’ Peter Hall has called for an immediate reinstatement of the rebate for installation of rollover protection on tractors.

Mr Hall said the WorkCover authority had removed the rebate late last year and he was now concerned that some farmers would not be inclined to add rollover protection.

“Over the years there have been many accidents, even fatalities, when tractors without this protection have rolled,” Mr Hall said. “In respect of farm safety accidents, those involving tractors rank highly on the list of the types of accidents that occur.”

The Member for Eastern Victoria said he had welcomed the rebate when it was introduced as it encouraged those with tractors to add the protection afforded by rollover bars.

Raising the matter in Parliament last week, Mr Hall said: “As a person who represents a large chunk of country Victoria, I am concerned in particular about farm safety.

“One of the very important initiatives of the Victorian WorkCover Authority in recent years has been to offer a rebate for the fitting of rollover protections on tractors, which has certainly led to a reduction in the seriousness of injury in many rollover-type situations with tractors on farms.

“Unfortunately the WorkCover authority ended the rebate for rollover protection on tractors late last year; currently there is none. I think this is such an important issue that it should be reinstated.”

Mr Hall called on the State Government, either directly or through the WorkCover authority, to reinstate the rebate so that farmers have more incentive to fit rollover protection on their tractors.

According to the WorkCover website, more than 12,000 tractors were fitted with the life-saving structures through a WorkSafe-funded rebate program in the late 1990s.

WorkCover has also recently run a statewide safety campaign to target dangerous tractors, which has only just finished (in April 2008.)

Mr Hall said the fact that WorkCover was still running such campaigns indicated that it was an ongoing issue and supported the case for reinstated rollover protection rebates.

Media contact:                  Peter Hall      (03) 5174 7066   or 0427 747 066