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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 7 Hansard (25 June) . . Page.. 2045 ..

AMBULANCE SERVICE (continuing):

Amendment -

Page 1, long title, omit the title, substitute the following title:

I took the liberty of circulating these amendments to members last night. I should explain their background. From time to time the Standing Committee on Scrutiny of Bills and Subordinate Legislation points out that a determination for fees it has examined may be deficient in one respect or another. For the most part, the committee's comments can be satisfied by relatively straightforward corrective action. As has already been pointed out by the Chief Minister, this is the approach the Government favours in relation to the determinations of fees which are the subject of Mr Berry's Bill today. I do not propose to say any more about that.

However, from time to time a government's consideration of the committee's comments indicates that a more formal action is required. Of course, it also happens that the need for this action can be revealed independently of the committee's comments. I recall that in the life of the previous Government there were occasions when action along the lines of the Government amendments was considered necessary. For example, the Financial Institutions Duty (Validation) Bill 1994 addressed a deficiency in a determination which is not unlike matters dealt with in the Government's amendments.

I will now briefly set out the background to the matters proposed to be included in the Bill by Government amendment No. 2. The Motor Traffic Act 1936 provides that lost and damaged drivers licences and registration certificates may be replaced on payment of a determined fee. In 1994 there was a period when this fee was not determined. This gap was noticed by the committee, but the solution implemented by the ALP Government did not completely address the matter. Proposed clause 6 does address this gap.

In 1995 responsibility for the ACT Ambulance Service was transferred from the Department of Health and Community Care to the Emergency Services Bureau. That was part of a program to make sure that all the emergency services of the Territory were under one single portfolio. Unfortunately, due to an administrative oversight, this resulted in fees for service provided by the Ambulance Service no longer being determined under the Health Act 1993. In the meantime, fees for ambulance services have been collected. The fees that have been collected by the Ambulance Service since 30 June 1995 are set out in the table in the proposed clause 4. Over that period the fees have been increased in line with increases in other government fees and charges.

In addition, a fee for transport by the clinic transport service has been introduced during the period. This service is provided to persons who are wheelchair bound or otherwise immobilised. It is available when a person requires non-urgent transport for medical reasons such as attendance at hospitals. As this service provides transport for patients who require minimal treatment, a lesser fee is charged. Proposed clause 5 will provide for the Ambulance Service Levy Act 1990 to be amended so that fees for the purposes of services by the Ambulance Service can be determined under that Act.

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