Page 2623 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 21 September 2022
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Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the right to equality before the law under the ACT’s Human Rights Act. Equity and inclusion are cornerstone values of the ACT government. Our vision is for the ACT to be an inclusive, welcoming society where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. This bill is part of that commitment. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Cain) adjourned to the next sitting.
Transport Canberra and City Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
Mr Steel, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for Skills, Minister for Transport and City Services and Special Minister of State) (11.19): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
I am pleased to introduce the Transport Canberra and City Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 to the Assembly today. The bill makes amendments across six pieces of legislation. It is an omnibus bill which makes a range of minor and technical amendments to laws falling within the City Services portfolio.
This suite of non-controversial amendments will improve the administration and operation of some essential municipal functions and services by ensuring that the legislation that backs these operations accurately reflects current practice, is consistent with similar provisions and is fit for purpose. While minor, these amendments combined promote an improved regulatory framework and improved operation of the ACT government’s agencies. The bill will also improve the clarity of the territory’s laws through the updating of unclear and outdated references and provisions.
I would first like to outline the most significant amendments in the bill, which relate to the Cemeteries and Crematoria Act 2020. A lot has changed for the better in cemeteries and crematoria in recent years, with the creation of a new act and the opening of a new public crematorium in the ACT which meets the needs of our diverse multicultural community. Since the new act was established in 2020, various operational requirements have been identified where the overarching legislation could be better supported.
Of particular importance, this bill seeks to address the privacy concerns of family members collecting their loved one’s ashes by ensuring that their personal information will not be published on a public register. Publishing their information is not current practice, but it is essential that the legislative framework reflects this practice.
Other amendments concern the administrative realities around burials and cremations. The representative funeral directors or undertakers will be provided with burial or
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