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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Wednesday, 25 August 2004) . . Page.. 4234 ..

achieve with the legislation was the Housing Industry Association, so not every similar association has the same sentiments. I have heard some members say that the Housing Industry Association is not as important as the MBA and other organisations. My responsibility as a legislator, and that of the government and other members, is the welfare and health of the community. I stress: what price do you put on a life?

MS GALLAGHER (Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Children, Youth and Family Support, Minister for Women and Minister for Industrial Relations) (10.19): I agree with Mrs Cross: this section is a very important part of the legislative framework. In any discussion about progressive law reform in the area of asbestos, or any discussion you have with stakeholders, it is clear that selling properties, that point-of-sale transaction, is an important link in the process.

I acknowledge Mr Stefaniak’s comments that it will come into effect post the task force initially reporting—there is the potential for the task force to have more of an ongoing role than just past 1 August 2005, just because of the work that it has got to do. Part of the work of that task force will be to look for exemptions and where exemptions are appropriately given and for that to be allowed through regulations.

This part of the legislation will be finetuned through the work of the task force, but part of the whole emphasis of this amendment bill is to get greater knowledge of the presence of asbestos in the ACT and to better equip ACT residents with knowledge about asbestos. As asbestos can be found in homes, that point-of-sale transaction is important. That is why the government has included it.

I take the point that there will be further refinement, and I take the point that we will need to talk with industry and stakeholders—and Mr Stefaniak has named the Law Society tonight—prior to this coming into effect to make it as workable as possible. I absolutely agree that nobody wants to see the catastrophic events Mr Stefaniak outlined in his speech. We can avoid those. As a commitment to where we are heading with this, it is important that this part of my amendment No 3 is in the bill.

MS TUCKER (10.21): The Greens agree that the certificates are an important flag for home buyers and renters. Once the work has been done on assessing the distribution of asbestos, it will not be so expensive or disturbing for people to know more precisely where the asbestos is. It has to be accepted as a significant part of this legislative package.

MS DUNDAS (10.22): I note the concerns that Mr Stefaniak has raised, but the Democrats are happy with this clause staying in the legislation we are debating tonight. The world did not collapse on the housing industry on 1 July 2004 when new regulations came into place for the gaining of reports and who gets those reports in relation to the point of sale for houses.

This is another report to add to the list of reports that need to be collected at the point of sale, and I think it is an important one. As the minister has indicated, and as Mr Stefaniak spoke about at length, this section does not commence until 2006, which leaves ample time to work with industry on how this amendment will work in practice. It even gives us the opportunity, if necessary, to come back and amend it. It is an important message to send that this Assembly recognises that the point of sale is an important part of the whole

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