A sensible change in the WA law that should be considered Australia wide.

I often wonder why we have to have a tragedy before we use common sense and prevent loss of life, personal injury or property damage.

In Western Australian it has taken a 21-month old child to be killed by a falling chest of draws to prompt a change to allow tenants to be able to secure furniture and or safety equipment to the building.

I am not aware of any Australian statistics but in the United States, it is estimated that a child in hurt every 24 minutes by falling furniture

Under the new law, tenants can request permission to install fixings to walls of rented premises to stop televisions and furniture from toppling over. Owners can only refuse the request in limited circumstances, such as if the home is heritage-listed or the walls contain asbestos. Where permission is granted tenants must repair the wall at the end of their lease which I agree is fair and reasonable.

What staggers me is that this tragic death occurred in 2013. Why does it take 6 years to have a law changed?  How many children have been injured during this time?

So, to the lessons learned. Please, if you have young children who we all know are naturally curious then have a good look and see if any furniture including television sets need to be secured. Do not procrastinate, make it safe.

I would end on a related issue. That is that the legal system in this country has become slow – as to become a hindrance to society and not the benefit that it was designed to be.

The stress caused to people, and do not get me started on the cost of the process is obscene, unforgivable and clearly requires urgent action.

There are constant calls for government to invest in infrastructure. As a society we have understand that this is not just roads, bridges, dams and ports, it is court buildings, and judges.

Every economy requires and the public deserves an efficient, fair, honest, and reasonably priced legal system.

On a positive note, the Insurance List for Short Matters of the Federal Court of Australia has been a much needed and welcome initiative. Well done to all concerned in its implementation in March 2016 and its ongoing operation.