Page 1912 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 May 1991
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design, installation, maintenance and cleaning of air-conditioning systems and warm water systems. The Building (Amendment) Bill 1991 seeks to rectify this situation.
Airborne transmission of legionella bacteria is preventable, given effective maintenance of potential sources of these bacteria. Fortunately for the ACT, many building owners and occupiers have been taking a responsible attitude towards the dangers of outbreaks of legionnaires' disease. The building owners have voluntarily complied with the requirements of Australian Standard 3666 and, in fact, many maintain their air-conditioning systems at standards higher than that required. I am sure that we all commend their attitude and sense of responsibility. However, recent investigations by the public and environmental health service have confirmed that there are some building owners in Canberra who are placing their employees and members of the public at risk, by ignoring the necessary cleaning requirements that will be required under this Act. Legionnaires' disease is a preventable disease, and, while there is no legislation to control outbreaks of legionnaires' disease, every one of us is at risk.
Today we have the opportunity to remedy this by implementing practical and effective legislation to control this potentially serious problem. Legionnaires' disease is not an issue that is new to the ACT. While we have not had outbreaks of the scale of those in Adelaide and Wollongong, for example, our record to date has not been perfect and the potential danger cannot be ignored. Measures to control it must be introduced. They must be Territory-wide and enforceable.
This Act will apply to virtually every building in the ACT, except single residency buildings. It will provide protection for all members of the community, for people at work and during their leisure hours, and for shoppers, tourists, the sick and the elderly. The Act will provide the legislative controls necessary to minimise the risk of spread of legionnaires' disease. It will be a necessary adjunct to the action plan released by the Minister for Health, Education and the Arts in 1990 for the control and investigation of legionnaires' disease. We, the Government, recognise the need for such legislation, as I am sure that our colleagues in opposition do. Mr Speaker, I believe that the ACT needs this legislation if we are to protect the health of our community and visitors. I commend the Bill to the Assembly.
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (12.22), in reply: I wish to thank all members for their contribution to the passage of this Bill. It is an overdue Bill - there is no question about that - and it is something that is of great importance to the public health of the citizens of the Territory. I have received a
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