Mr NEVILLE (9:49 AM) —Yesterday morning, 31 people were injured when a bus flipped over after being hit by a truck at Gracemere, near Rockhampton. I rise today to extend my best wishes to the passengers and their families. Thankfully and mercifully, no-one was killed in the accident, but it was a near thing.

I understand the bus was transporting 19 schoolchildren and 11 adults from Mount Morgan, which is in my electorate of Hinkler, to Rockhampton, along Gavial Road, when a truck clipped the bus on the rear left side, causing it to spin 180 degrees and turn over onto its roof. A 13-year-old girl and a 72-year-old woman were critically injured. They are currently in the Rockhampton Base Hospital. As of yesterday, they were in intensive care. I hope they are out of intensive care. I spoke to the medical superintendent this morning and he will update me with reports. Nine others were seriously injured and 20 received minor injuries.

I would like to praise the efforts of emergency workers and residents on the scene, who arrived within minutes to provide assistance. I am sure that their help was greatly appreciated by the passengers. Apparently, this help was not without some personal danger, as there was the risk of fire. Anyone who participates in an exercise like that is a person of some courage. My state parliamentary colleague, the member for Fitzroy, was also there, and I thank him for his efforts on behalf of the passengers.

The incident highlights the need to consider putting seatbelts on buses, particularly buses carrying schoolchildren. I understand that the Queensland government has established a task force to investigate bus safety standards. I recommend very sincerely to them that they look into every aspect of this. We all recognise that this is not going to be inexpensive, and so it needs to be worked through with some care. Studies and incidents of recent years have shown that people have a much better chance in any sort of vehicle, even buses, if there are restraints of some order.

Honourable members will know my interest in those matters, as I have chaired the parliament's transport committee where we have looked at things like alcohol, speed, vehicle design and, most recently, fatigue in transport. In closing today, my thoughts are not so much with the politics of this but with the very near thing that occurred in my electorate. I would like to reiterate my thoughts to my colleagues and pass on the best wishes of my colleagues on both sides of the House to the passengers and their families. I wish them all a very speedy recovery.