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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2002 Week 2 Hansard (19 February) . . Page.. 367 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

Reforms are also proposed with the introduction of the Health Professions Bill 2002 and the Veterinary Surgeons Amendment Bill 2002. Both bills will address recommendations of reviews undertaken in response to the ACT's commitment in respect of the national competition policy agreement.

A priority of the program is the Gene Technology Bill 2002. The bill reflects a national framework for overseeing gene technology activities and will supplant the Commonwealth Gene Technology Act 2000. Its objective is to protect the health and safety of the community and environment by identifying potential risks posed by gene technology.

This bill honours the ACT's commitment to introduce nationally consistent gene technology legislation. The application of the Commonwealth act to the ACT will cease when consistent legislation commences in the ACT. The bill seeks to promote an even playing field across Australia so that the community can have confidence that gene technology is adequately regulated.

The proposed Education Bill 2002 fulfils a Labor election commitment to reintroduce an amended education bill. The bill will consolidate existing legislation to provide for the governance and operation of government schools, the registration and re-registration of non-government schools and the registration of home schooling. It is intended that the legislation will be released as an exposure draft to ensure wide community and stakeholder input.

The government has already flagged its intention to put into place a strategic whole-of-government approach to planning. The program includes a bill to establish an independent planning and land management authority and to establish a planning appeals commission. To expedite the resolution of leasehold, development and building compliance matters, an amendment will also be proposed to the Land (Planning and Environment) Act 1991.

A prime government concern is community safety. This government will propose to put forward a range of amendments and new legislation. I am sure that everyone will remember the bushfire damage to the ACT last Christmas. The government intends to introduce the Crimes (Bushfires) Amendment Bill 2002 to insert a new offence of causing bushfires. The existing arson offences and the offences in the Bushfire Act 1936 are not appropriate for dealing with people who intentionally or recklessly cause bushfires. The maximum penalty for the new offence will be imprisonment for 15 years, which corresponds with the penalty for arson.

A bill will also be introduced to amend the ACT Criminal Code 2001. It will incorporate the principles of criminal responsibility from chapter 2 of the Model Criminal Code that were not included in the first stage of the ACT's codification process last year. A separate bill will amend the commencement provisions to delay the commencement of the code from March 2002 to 1 January 2003, so that users of the code can familiarise themselves with its provisions before it commences.

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