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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 8 Hansard (26 August) . . Page.. 2563 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

Mr Speaker, we have seen in recent times moves, mostly by the Commonwealth Government, to sell substantial holdings of Commonwealth building stock in this town to the private sector. Perhaps the most notable of these are buildings such as the Edmund Barton building and the Foreign Affairs and Trade building in Barton. Quite clearly there is an interest amongst the private sector to ensure that they have the appropriate documentation that demonstrates that these buildings do comply with the relevant building standards. Because the past practice has been not to issue certificates of occupancy to Territory or Commonwealth owned buildings, they have not had the relevant documentation certificates of occupancy or use. For that reason, Mr Speaker, we are quite happy to support provisions that allow for a certificate of regularisation to be issued. Clearly, it is a sensible provision which allows for the appropriate transfer of these buildings from Territory or Commonwealth ownership to private sector ownership.

I note also that the Bill makes several other technical amendments. Amongst those are requirements in relation to the waste management plans for building waste at construction sites and the appropriate recycling of that material. I understand that Ms Tucker will be moving an amendment to the Bill at the detail stage, and I flag now that the Labor Party will be supporting that amendment. I understand that the Government also has no difficulty with it, primarily because it will ensure that there is consistency between the amendments proposed in this Bill and the changes to the Building Act that occurred last year in the Building (Amendment) Act 1998 proposed by Ms Tucker and passed by this Assembly.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (5.51), in reply: Mr Speaker, I thank the Assembly for supporting this Bill. It is important that the buildings that are being sold off by the Commonwealth do receive these certificates so that they can be occupied in the future. The Government also will support Ms Tucker's amendment to the waste management plans.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

MS TUCKER (5.52): I move:

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