• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content

Spinal Life Australia

For the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) updates, resources and service impacts, click here.

Menu

Main navigation

Close menu

  • Home
  • NDIS
    • Support under the NDIS
  • Our services
    • Allied Health Services
    • Supports Coordination
    • Personal Support and Home Care Services
    • Community Nursing
    • Physiotherapy
    • Training Solutions
    • Back2Work
    • Accessible accommodation
  • Your community
    • Advocacy
    • Peer support
    • Peer Support Groups
    • SEAT – safety education in schools
  • Get involved
    • Membership with Spinal Life Australia
    • Upcoming Events
    • Donate
    • Support us
    • Our sponsors and supporters
  • Your resources
    • Your spine
    • The Advocate magazine
    • Our publications
    • The Disability Royal Commission
    • Late effects of polio
    • Transverse Myelitis
    • Useful links
  • About us
    • About Spinal Life Australia
    • Our Patron and ambassadors
    • Our Board and leadership team
    • Services for Western Australia
    • Work for us
      • Current opportunities
      • Corporate and Allied Health vacancies
      • Personal Support Worker vacancies
  • Contact us
  • 1300 SPINAL
  • DONATE

Calling for mandatory accessibility in anticipation of NGR report

December 7, 2018

Spinal Life Australia has called for accessibility to become a mandatory part of the Queensland state infrastructure procurement process, in anticipation of the Commissioners Inquiry report into the New Generation Rollingstock Trains (NGR).

Commissioner Michael Forde’s report was submitted to the Premier and Minister for Trade on 3 December and is expected to be released to the public on Monday, 10 December.

The NGR trains were widely criticised after they were put into commission despite failing to comply with disability legislation, including bathrooms that were inaccessible to most wheelchair users.

Chief Executive Officer Michael Powell said the entire debacle showed the importance of considering Queenslanders with a disability when planning state projects and procuring infrastructure.

“Earlier in 2018, Spinal Life released a petition pushing for full mandatory accessibility for future major infrastructure projects, in response to the NGR trains being put into service despite accessibility issues,” Mr Powell said.

“That petition received more than 16,400 signatures and we’re hoping that Commissioner Forde’s findings will see the State Government mandate a procurement process that ensures no Queenslander is excluded from service.

“We’ve seen what happens when accessibility is not taken into account at the procurement and design stages – the NGR trains will now cost hundreds of millions to make the trains functional for all passengers to use.

“We’ve previously called on every State Parliamentarian to support the Government to mandate an inclusive procurement process and we hope the Commissioner’s report highlights just how critical this is.”

We strongly advocated for these changes in our submission to Commissioner Forde’s Inquiry.

Filed Under: Our news

Reader Interactions

Quick links

  • Donate
  • Allied Health Services
  • Careers
  • PSW Resources/Login
  • Office Staff Login

Contact us

We’d love to hear from you! Leave a message on our contact page or you can call toll free on:

1300 774 625

Your feedback

Feedback is always welcome from our members, clients and the general public.

Leave Feedback

Copyright © 2021 Spinal Life Australia. All Rights Reserved.

Site built by Ad Agency Queensland Sitemap Admin Privacy