This Framework outlines the processes, approvals and accountabilities that underpin the administration and management of the Road Trauma Trust Account (RTTA) by the Road Safety Commissioner (Commissioner) and the role of the Road Safety Council (Council). This is an overarching document that guides the administration and management of the RTTA.
The RTTA is a special purpose account (SPA) created by Section 12 of the Road Safety Council Act 2002 (RSC Act). The Government commits money from the RTTA to fund initiatives proposed by the Council to improve the safety of WA roads, and reduce deaths. serious injuries and damage to property resulting from road crashes in Western Australia.
The Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of the RTTA under section 12(5) of the RSC Act which states that, ‘For the purposes of the Financial Management Act 2006 and the Auditor General Act 2006 the Account is to be administered by the department of the Public Service principally assisting the Minister in the administration of this Act'.
Part 2, Division 4 of the Financial Management Act 2006 (FM Act) deals with the administration of SPAs. Receipts into the RTTA reflect prescribed penalties paid during the year, as well as other funds collected under the Road Traffic (Administration) Act 2008, and any interest revenue earned on the account balance. Information about the RTTA and other key SPAs is published annually in Budget Papers including forecast SPA balances.
Administration of the RTTA requires compliance with the RSC Act and the FM Act, with responsibilities and obligations assigned to the Council and the Commissioner.
This Framework is consistent with the convention that while Ministers are collectively responsible for government decisions, responsibility for specific statutes is assigned to individual Ministers. While RTTTA funding allocations are considered by ERC as part of normal budget processes and agreed by Cabinet, under section 12(6) of the RSC Act, the Minister for Road Safety (Minister) determines the purposes for which money in the RTTA is applied.
Compliance with statutory requirements is undertaken by oversight and central agencies, including the Auditor General, the Public Sector Commission, the Department of Treasury and the Ombudsman.
