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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 1 Hansard (20 February) . . Page.. 303 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

I recognise that the bill will impose a cost on the ACT security industry by permitting the regulations to impose training requirements. These training requirements will be based on new national training standards that have been developed by the Australian National Training Authority in consultation with the security industry. To minimise the costs of the legislation on the industry, existing members of the industry will be given at least a year to comply with the new training requirements.

The bill also provides for the recognition of prior learning and experience and the department will, of course, continue to consult with industry and other jurisdictions as the regulations for the security industry are developed.

Mr Stefaniak, in his comments in support of the bill, referred in particular to an issue that had been raised by a representative of the security industry about some aspects of the legislation. Mr Stefaniak adverted to the issue of whether or not locksmiths should be licensed. To some extent, this is one of the few issues around which there has been some correspondence and representations made.

Mr Stefaniak referred to a letter that both he and I received in relation to that issue, suggesting that locksmiths should not be licensed. The government has taken the attitude, obviously, that locksmiths should be licensed to ensure that they do not have a criminal record in the first place and that they are appropriately qualified. Locksmiths are in a position of trust. They install locks in premises and they have the ability to access properties when the owners are not home. From a public safety position, locksmiths should most definitely be covered by security licensing to ensure the integrity of individuals and businesses with potential access to every building and secure location in Canberra or, indeed, in the whole country.

In this context, it might be of interest to the members to know that the Office of Fair Trading has received eight formal complaints about locksmiths in relation to faulty locks, unsatisfactory performance of service and over-charging. So there is some level of consumer concern or complaint around the activity of locksmiths, which goes once again to the issue of the desirability of including them within the security industry legislation.

It is also the case that locksmiths are licensed in this same way in New South Wales, Western Australia and New Zealand and currently in the ACT. The other jurisdictions have not regulated locksmiths and they have no complaints about the industry. However, all of the jurisdictions are now monitoring locksmiths. The Northern Territory legislation includes a specific provision allowing for regulation to include locksmiths as requiring licensing.

I think it is fair to say that the three other industry associations representing locksmiths in the ACT all specifically supported the regulation of their sector of the industry under this legislation, and it was on that basis that the government took the decision that it did in relation to locksmiths. I thank members for their support of this legislation.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

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