Liam McNally
Melton council are seeking to put a stop to hooning occurring within the municipality by introducing a new law targeting hoon events.
At a meeting on Monday, April 24 council accepted a report into options for new anti-hoon laws, and will consider creating a new local law in 2025 when the current general local law finishes.
Council city delivery director Neil Whiteside said the current road safety act requires or enables police to take action against hoon behaviour but only can address the hoon behaviour of the particular driver, it does not enable the police to deal with matters that relate to hooning events.
“In relation to hooning events really the only way to deal with that currently is through the provision of a separate local law… maybe the state should consider the hoon events issue as a part of the state legislation rather than each individual council having to consider that,” he said.
The exact nature of the law is not yet decided, but nearby Brimbank council was the first council to introduce local laws in relation to hoon driving in 2018, making it an offence to participate in, encourage, or attend a hoon event without lawful excuse, and for a driver of a motor vehicle to stop or park in close proximity to a hoon event without lawful excuse.
Hume council currently also have a proposed law which means people attending a hoon event or parked within 200 metres of a hoon event could be fined.
Melton councillors also decided they would write to Roads and Road Safety minister Melissa Horne to advocate for a state level anti-hooning law to make consequences for hooning events even across the state.
Melton councillor Sophie Ramsay said she can’t commend [council officers] enough for the power of work that they’ve done in putting this [report] together.
