Page 1010 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 19 March 1991
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In seeking to simplify the administration in this policy area and to make things easier for the rural leaseholders, the Bill essentially overcomes some of the previous difficulties associated with the outdated Stock Act of 1934. Clearly, the need exists for a controller of stock and for the ACT to register its own brand for large stock. I am pleased to see both measures adopted in this Bill.
It is also good to see that close cooperation with the relevant authorities in New South Wales will be maintained to avoid unnecessary duplication. I am also pleased to see that the costs associated with this Bill will be covered by the existing budgetary allocations and the levy imposed on the rural leaseholders.
I should like to mention that the penalty system involved with this Bill raises a larger issue which should be addressed by the Government, and that is that there should be a unit penalty system applied to all legislation. I simply ask: Has the Government taken our proposition on board?
I sent copies of the Bill to the leaseholders association and to different people to comment on it. However, I had nothing back. So I gather that they are very happy with the Bill; otherwise I am sure we would have heard from them. The Minister said in this speech that he had also contacted all these authorities and had had no complaints about the Bill. In closing, let me again say that the Labor Party supports this Bill fully.
Sitting suspended from 4.27 to 8.00 pm
MR SPEAKER: Before Mr Jensen proceeds, I advise members that the Kambah Scout Group is in the public gallery.
MR JENSEN (8.01): Mr Speaker, I am speaking tonight to the Stock Bill 1991, presented to the Assembly by the Minister for Urban Services. Like Mrs Grassby, I contacted the Rural Lessees Association and provided them with a copy of the Bill. As they have not been in contact with me since then, I presume that they are happy with the provisions therein. As the Minister stated previously, the Stock Bill 1991 will replace the Stock Act 1934, which has become rather outdated. It is like a lot of legislation in the ACT that was ignored or forgotten by successive Federal governments, both Liberal and Labor.
In presenting this Bill, the Alliance Government is acting to reduce unnecessary regulative controls on primary producers in the ACT. The measures taken to reduce the regulative controls are to allow ACT primary producers to write a permit for the droving of their own stock, and to release lands no longer required for stock routes.
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