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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 7 Hansard (24 June) . . Page.. 2297 ..

MR CORBELL

number of information sessions on the legislative reforms will be held for interested licensees and consumers. Information fact sheets will also be available from the new ACT Planning and Land Authority shopfronts and on the ACT Planning and Land Authority website. Copies of the exposure draft bill on regulations and the associated explanatory statements will be available on the legislation register.

Letters will be sent to all current licensees advising them of the consultation arrangements and encouraging their attendance at the information sessions. Written submissions commenting on issues or concerns with the new licensing proposal will be strongly encouraged, and industry bodies will be offered separate briefings on the details of the reforms.

Mr Speaker, it is symbolic that this significant legislative reform will have a community consultation phase commencing on 1 July 2003, the commencement date for the new ACT Planning and Land Authority. This sends a strong message to the community that this government's commitment to high-quality, sustainable development is not merely a set of words in a policy document but a policy that permeates all levels of the building and construction industry.

We need to have a regulatory system that ensures the buildings we live, work and play in are constructed to the highest standards by licensed individuals or companies that have the necessary level of skills to undertake the work.

Mr Speaker, the exposure draft bill and regulations are a statement of intent from this government that we are committed to regulatory reform. They provide a clear framework for reform that will enable all stakeholders to understand and comment as necessary on issues for additional reforms to enhance the final legislative package. I will be happy to arrange for detailed briefings for Assembly members over the coming weeks. I look forward to receiving the views of both the community and my Assembly colleagues on this significant reform proposal.

Appropriation Bill 2003-2004

Estimates 2002-2003-Select Committee

Report-government response]

Proposed expenditure-part 1.4-Chief Minister's, $60,220,000 (net cost of outputs), $7,838,000 (capital injection) and $3,000,000 (payments on behalf of the territory), totalling $71,058,000.

Debate resumed.

MR SPEAKER: The question is that Mr Smyth's amendment No 2 be agreed to.

MR PRATT (3.31): Mr Speaker, I want to speak on multicultural affairs in this phase of our consideration of proposed expenditure for the Chief Minister's Department. The first point I would like to make is that I am concerned about the situation relating to multicultural aged care liaison officers. Recently I visited the Croatian seniors village out in the Woden area. One only needs to go to a place such as this to see the rather specific and particular concerns that aged people with a multicultural

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