Page 1909 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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could have quite a large number of people in the Canberra public hospitals - that is, of course, if they could get a bed in one - with legionnaires' disease.
Building owners will now have to have their air-conditioners and water systems comply with Australian Standard 3666, and they will need to be licensed. It means that buildings will be checked and the air-conditioners will be checked to make sure that the legionella bacteria are not in the air-conditioners. If the building is deemed to have an unacceptable level of legionnaires' disease, then the building controller can issue a shutdown notice and have the building evacuated. This is very important, as I have said, because, with the number of people working in buildings, we would not like to have an enormous outbreak of legionnaires' disease.
The building will be reopened only once the inspection has shown that the legionella levels are acceptable to people working in that building. Of course, if the building owner will not fix the problem, then the building controller can authorise the clean-up operation and will be able to bill the owner. This is also very important. The Bill, as I say, is exactly the same as the one which we were working towards in 1989. Therefore, of course, our side of the house has no objections.
I understand, however, that the Government does have an amendment to part of the Bill. I have read it, and we will be accepting that amendment, Mr Speaker. So, without saying anything more, there is no-one else on our side of the house who wishes to speak on this; we are quite happy with the Bill. As I said, this Bill is the Bill that we were going to put into the house in 1989. To Mr Tony Robertson, who brought it to my attention and to the party's attention, I say thank you.
MR HUMPHRIES (Minister for Health, Education and the Arts) (12.12): Mr Speaker, as Minister for Health, I am happy to rise in support of this Bill today. As Mrs Grassby indicated, the Bill seeks to enforce measures that will limit the potential for outbreaks of legionnaires' disease in the ACT. It is essential that we ensure that the protection of our community against this disease is stronger than it is at present. It is obvious that an outbreak of legionnaires' disease in a city where such a high percentage of the work force is employed in office based jobs, and where shoppers congregate in large numbers in our large shopping malls, would be a disaster.
Until now, the ACT has had no legislation which attempts to control or prevent outbreaks of legionnaires' disease or other allied diseases. While this situation continues, the potential for a major outbreak of legionnaires' disease does exist. The results of outbreaks of this disease are well known. A number of tragic events overseas and in this country, as close to this city as Wollongong, have given ample evidence of the dreadful outcomes which can
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