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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 10 Hansard (23 September) . . Page.. 3175 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

What that means is that somebody who has registered with one agency can move on to register with a second, third or subsequent agency without having to wait for a full period of six months. Obviously, some people will wish to register with a number of agencies that can accredit. Obviously, the applicant will have to satisfy the agency that she or he is eligible to apply for registration by informing the agency whether he or she has been refused registration by another agency or has had his or her registration cancelled.

The second amendment deals with providing the public with access to registers of mediators kept by approved agencies. The regulations will contain lists of approved agencies. It will be incumbent upon the approved agency to comply with certain requirements for the disclosure of those lists and to keep that register in a place accessible to the public. There will be a penalty not exceeding $1,000 for failing to comply with those requirements. Also, my department will keep a consolidated register of mediators in the Territory, which obviously members of the public can get access to.

Amendments agreed to.

Bill, as a whole, as amended, agreed to.

Bill, as amended, agreed to.

Debate resumed from 28 August 1997, on motion by Mr Humphries:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

MS McRAE (5.48): This Bill is very straightforward and, as was pointed out to us, provides a solution to some cumbersome arrangements that presently exist for implementing changes to the refund policy for application fees. As we know, the current legislation requires the building regulations to be amended on a regular basis to facilitate changes in refund policy. This Bill will streamline that process so that the refund of application fees will become an administrative process in line with the approach followed under other legislation and provide a more flexible and timely method of implementing refund policy. Of course, it will improve services for clients of building, electrical and plumbing services. There is no reason at all for the Opposition to oppose the Bill. We will be supporting this Bill, and I commend it to the house.

MR HUMPHRIES (Attorney-General and Minister for the Environment, Land and Planning) (5.49), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank Ms McRae for her support, and I commend the Bill to the house.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.

Bill agreed to.

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