Page 810 - Week 05 - Thursday, 6 July 1989
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to inquire into, and report on, in the widest public context, the Occupational Health and Safety Bill 1989, and the Bill was formally referred to the committee on the same day.
The committee was required to report to the Assembly by 27 June 1989 and this was subsequently extended, during the course of the inquiry, to 6 July 1989. The committee placed advertisements calling for submissions from interested people and organisations in the Canberra Times. In all, 19 submissions were lodged with the committee. The committee held nine meetings and examined 22 witnesses representing 12 organisations. A list of witnesses appears in the report at appendix 2.
In order to more fully appreciate the workplace environment, the committee inspected a number of work sites in section 38, Civic, where discussions were held with the prime contractor concerning safety matters and practices. Various workers there and foremen were spoken to. On 20 June, the committee inspected the Canberra Southern Cross Club, an entirely different work environment and one of the largest clubs in Canberra. That club was thoroughly inspected; various workers were spoken to, as was the management; and a number of points were noted.
Finally, on 26 June, the committee visited Pirie Printers Sales Pty Ltd, a work environment involving large, complex machinery and industrial chemicals. That workplace was inspected; the machinery was observed; workers were observed operating machinery; a number of things were noted and a number of persons were spoken to. At each of those sites, therefore, the committee observed work practices, safety procedures and talked with the various relevant people there.
A member: Any charges laid?
MR STEFANIAK: No charges were laid. A number of major recommendations were presented in this report, Mr Speaker, and perhaps I could go through those for the benefit of this Assembly. The first recommendation was that the Bill be agreed to in principle and that the amendments set out in the attached schedule to the report be considered by the Assembly at the detail stage of the Bill. There were some further recommendations of a general nature, and I will deal with those. These probably go beyond the actual terms of this committee, but I think they have important ramifications for further conduct of business in this Assembly. The three members of the committee felt that it was important that the recommendations be made.
One recommendation was that all Acts passed by the Assembly commence on a day not less than six months following the notification required by section 25 of the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988. In the schedule attached to this report the committee suggests an amendment to clause 2 of the Bill to give effect to this recommendation.
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