Mr NATHAN HAGARTY (Leppington) (19:12): I am pleased to speak in support of the Road Transport Amendment (Non-registrable Motor Vehicles) Bill 2026. It addresses an important issue that affects many people in my community and, as we have heard from the many contributions to debate, people across Sydney, up and down the coast, and throughout the State. I commend the Minister for bringing the bill to the House and tackling what is, in effect, a scourge. E-bikes that meet legal power, speed and pedalling requirements offer our communities a real sustainable transport solution. I do not think too many people will disagree with that. They are an emerging technology and, for a lot of people, they provide a safe, affordable way to get from point A to point B. But, like all new things, they can be exploited. Companies will push the limits, and it is up to governments to define the rules and limits. The bill goes a long way towards doing that.
The biggest issue is safety and the people who push those limits with high-powered vehicles and do not use them in a constructive way. They undermine the social licence for all e-bikes, despite some people using them legitimately. I think e-bikes have an important place in our transport mix. In my patch, we have seen a pattern of behaviour that I am sure other members have seen also. Groups of riders are getting together, arranging a time and place through social media, and using high-powered e-bikes, e-scooters and dirt bikes to ride through areas where motor vehicles are not allowed, including shopping precincts, public plazas, pedestrian areas and community spaces. I saw a video on social media that was shot, I think, in the electorate of the good member for Campbelltown. I send him my best wishes—I know he is watching. He has FOMO and rings me about twice a day to see what is going on.
In the video, a cricket game was underway and a bunch of hoons and hooligans dressed in black turned up on their e-bikes, stole the cricket ball, ripped up the pitch and sped off. That is not acceptable. The cricketers probably should have used their cricket bats. Those e-bike users are ruining it for everyone. In my electorate, e‑bike users have gone through a couple of the shopping centres—areas where people go with their families and kids and expect to feel safe. Very vulnerable members of the community go to shopping centres, including the elderly, kids in prams and young people. When those hoons and hooligans rip through shopping centres on e‑bikes, they present a genuine risk. Touch wood, I have not seen anything too bad in my neck of the woods, but I know some very serious incidents have happened in this State and elsewhere. I am sure the bill will go some way to preventing, if not outright stopping, those incidents.
The bill provides an important tool to address the central factor in dangerous scenarios by permanently removing illegal e-bikes and e‑scooters from our streets. The reform includes an appropriate and pragmatic trigger for action. When police or authorised officers reasonably suspect that a non‑registrable motor vehicle is being used on a road or in a public space, they will have the power to stop the rider and inspect, seize and impound the vehicle. Reasonable suspicion is a long-established legal standard used across the State through a bunch of different law enforcement powers. That means the police will have a factual basis—
[Interruption]
I acknowledge the contribution from Oatley Siri.
Ms Jenny Aitchison: It is more sensible than the owner.
Mr NATHAN HAGARTY: Yes, the average IQ of this Chamber lifted incredibly fast. There is well‑established case law in regard to reasonable suspicion, and the threshold does not require proof but must be more than a hunch or an assumption. It allows police and authorised officers to take appropriate action. I will not speak for much longer, but I wanted to add my perspective about what is happening in my electorate. The bill provides a clear mechanism to remove unsafe vehicles from our roads and public spaces. Public spaces belong to everybody. They are places where people can gather, where community is fostered and where individuals should feel safe without the threat of some dropkick, dressed in black, hooning through at an incredibly fast speed and potentially knocking them over, injuring them or worse. I welcome anything we can do to stop that.
Those who own an e-bike, e-scooter or any of those kinds of vehicles that is reasonably powered and who uses it safely should continue to be able to do so. As I said at the outset, e-bikes are an important part of our transport mix. I know plenty of people who use them to get around, and they do so safely. I encourage e-bike users to check that their devices are legal. There are avenues to do that through government websites. Like a normal motor vehicle or any device, the onus is on the owner to ensure that their vehicle is safe, secure and used properly only in places where it should be used. I trust members will lend their unreserved support to the bill. I commend the bill to the House.
