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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 11 Hansard (30 November) . . Page.. 3564 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

Members will be aware that the Standing Committee on Planning and Urban Services conducted an inquiry into this package of bills earlier this year. The committee's report was presented some months ago, and I am pleased to see that the government has taken on board the great bulk of the committee's recommendations in the form of amendments which are to be proposed by the minister this afternoon.

The Utilities Bill deals with the regulation of electricity, gas, water and sewerage services. There was a statement of regulatory intent which informed the establishment of these bills. There are other documents alongside this, and hopefully finalisation of issues such as benchmark customer contracts, consumer protection codes and codes of practice will be properly addressed through the passage of these bills today.

The utilities framework as set out in these bills is a step forward in providing a more comprehensive framework for consumer protection in the ACT and in ensuring that utility providers operate in an open and transparent way. During the inquiry process, some concerns were raised as to access to the information from the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission as part of any decision about costs imposed on utility providers. That remains an issue of some concern. However, in wanting to ensure that these bills are passed as effectively as possible, the Labor Party does not raise those concerns at this stage, but we will be wanting to closely monitor the provision of information available to consumers and other public interest groups as the ICRC makes decisions in relation to licences and so on for utility providers.

That said, Mr Speaker, the Labor Party will be supporting in principle the bills as brought on today, and we will also be supporting the amendments proposed by the government.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services) (5.19): The government welcomes the support of the Assembly for this package of bills. It is a very important package of bills because of what it will achieve in making sure that all the concerns of the community are looked after in those most fundamental of things that we all need-water, sewerage, electricity and gas.

The government, through the consultation process and through the work of the Planning and Urban Services Committee, will amend four of the five bills. It does not have any amendments to the Gas Safety Bill. I have spoken to all members concerned and they are quite happy for all of the government's amendments, to which I understand there are no objections, to be moved as a single package.

I conclude by thanking the Assembly for their support.

MS TUCKER (5.21): These bills establish a new regulatory regime for electricity, gas and water supply in the ACT. They are part of a bigger package which includes a whole range of supporting codes of practice. It is a very large, complex and technical set of documents that have been in gestation for some time. The impetus for this work goes back to decisions by COAG some five years ago to establish a national electricity market and to restructure utilities to introduce national competition policy.

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