The Federal Government has passed legislation through Parliament that will establish the country’s first rail safety investigator.

 

The Transport Safety Investigation Amendment Bill 2012 will see the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) tasked with investigating safety events on all metropolitan passenger and freight rail networks across the country.

 

Commencing in January next year, the new approach will see the patchwork of regulators and laws streamlined under one suite of laws with a single regulators, which the Government argues will see better sharing of safety findings between states and territories and save lives and prevent injuries.

 

The ATSB has been provided with $11.2 million to enable it to prepare for the role as the country’s rail and maritime safety investigator.