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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 11 Hansard (30 November) . . Page.. 3566 ..

MS TUCKER (continuing):

members with expertise in consumer rights and environmental protection. The narrowness of the ICRC makes it all the more important that community groups be able to adequately scrutinise its decisions.

I note that ACTCOSS echoed these concerns in its submissions on the package and that the Planning and Urban Services Committee referred to this issue in one of its recommendations, but the government is still resistant to broadening the membership of the ICRC. I notice, however, that the government, in its amendments, clarifies the membership of the Essential Services Consumer Council so that it includes people with expertise in assisting people suffering financial hardship and in consumer affairs. This is a good move.

The government's amendments also pick up concerns raised by ACTCOSS regarding community access to the ICRC's operations. ICRC will now be required to seek public comment on draft decisions to grant a licence to provide a utility service. The ICRC will also be required to place on its web site copies of licences granted and other decisions it makes.

The need to ensure consistency in the regulatory arrangements that apply to individual licence holders was noted by the Planning and Urban Services Committee. The bill currently allows the ICRC to exempt utilities from any conditions in their licence, which ACTCOSS and the committee thought gave too much discretion to the ICRC. The government, fortunately, has agreed to make such exemptions disallowable instruments so that at least the Assembly is able to scrutinise them.

On the environmental side of the bill, I note the very interesting clause 99, which provides that an electricity or gas supplier must not discriminate against a person who uses or supplies alternative energy services, which include demand management measures. I am disappointed, however, that there is not stronger encouragement for utilities to adopt greenhouse gas targets and energy efficiency programs. I note in the government's response to the committee's report that it will look at this issue in the context of further development of the industry and technical codes. I will be very interested to follow this up.

MR SMYTH (Minister for Urban Services): I seek leave to speak again.

Leave granted.

MR SMYTH: The scrutiny of bills committee raised some interesting points in the report. They requested some additional information in the explanatory memorandums. I now table two EMs that address the concerns raised by the committee.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

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