City of Albany council backs ATV training school for children in bid to reduce farm injuries and deaths

An all-terrain vehicle riding school for children will be established near Albany in a bid to reduce the number of farm injuries and deaths. City of Albany councillors unanimously approved an application to run private ATV lessons for children on a farm property in Lowlands, 33km west of Albany, at a meeting last week. Only 12 ATVs will be able to take part in the lessons at a time at restricted speeds, with no racing or competitive riding allowed. Riders must be aged 14 and under, and their parents must remain on-site at all times during the lessons. Lessons can only take place during school holidays and weekends. One neighbour spoke out against the proposal at last week’s meeting, citing noise concerns. The neighbour said she “would very sincerely like to believe” that the quad bikes would be inaudible from their outdoor entertainment area. However, she did not believe that because she already heard “low ambient noise” such as birds and the ocean. The City received 18 public submissions — all against the proposal — after it was advertised for comment earlier this year. But a City officer’s report stated the matters raised in the public submissions “can be mitigated through the application of appropriate planning conditions”. The man behind the ATV training school, Philip Morgan, told councillors that with thousands of ATV owners all over the State, “training is essential” to avoid injury and possibly death. Quad bike accidents are the leading cause of death and severe injuries on Australian farms, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. From 2011-20, 150 people died from quad bike accidents including 23 children. In June, WorkSafe launched an inquiry into the number of deaths in WA’s agricultural sector. Speaking in support of the proposal, Cr Robert Sutton said there was no better way to save lives than by starting education early. “Hopefully we will keep a few injuries away from the kids,” he said. Cr Thomas Brough argued that quad bikes would probably be electric in the near future, further reducing the impact of noise on surrounding properties. The approval comes 15 years after the council refused Mr Morgan’s application for a junior motorcycle and ATV training business at the Lowlands property. At the time, Mr Morgan appealed that decision with the State Administrative Tribunal, which overturned the ruling with conditions in 2008. But the approval lapsed as the project did not get up and running in time.