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MADAM SPEAKER, THE PHYSIOTHERAPISTS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1994 IS

ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF A.C.T. HEALTH PROFESSIONS REGISTRATION

LAWS TO BE AMENDED IN LINE WITH THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTH

MINISTERS' AGREEMENT TO ADOPT CONSISTENT STANDARDS IN

RELATION TO THE REGULATION OF HEALTH OCCUPATIONS.

THE PHYSIOTHERAPISTS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1994 AMENDS THE

PHYSIOTHERAPISTS ACT 1977 AND PROVIDES FOR NATIONALLY AGREED

UNIFORM STANDARDS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR REGULATING

PHYSIOTHERAPISTS AS WELL AS FOR A RANGE OF UNIFORM SANCTIONS

WHICH CAN BE IMPOSED ON A PHYSIOTHERAPIST IN DISCIPLINARY

MATTERS OR ON HEALTH GROUNDS.

IN PARTICULAR THE BILL RECOGNISES THE ENTITLEMENT, OF A PERSON

WHO IS REGISTERED AS A PHYSIOTHERAPIST IN A STATE OR ANOTHER

TERRITORY, TO REGISTRATION IN THE A.C.T.

IT ALSO PROVIDES FOR THE PHYSIOTHERAPISTS BOARD TO RECOGNISE

CONDITIONS WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN IMPOSED ON THE REGISTRATION

OF A PHYSIOTHERAPIST IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION AS A RESULT OF

DISCIPLINARY ACTION AND APPLY THE SAME CONDITIONS ON THE

PERSON'S REGISTRATION IN THE TERRITORY.

THESE PROVISIONS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION

PROVISIONS RELATING TO OCCUPATIONS AS SET OUT IN SECTION 17 OF

THE COMMONWEALTH MUTUAL RECOGNITION ACT 1992.

THE APPLICATION OF THAT PRINCIPLE TO THE TERRITORY AND TO

OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAS GIVEN RISE TO THE DESIRABILITY OF

ADOPTING AGREED MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION AS A

PHYSIOTHERAPIST.

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