Page 1094 - Week 03 - Thursday, 26 February 2009
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Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Minister for the Arts and Heritage): I present the following papers:
Intergovernmental agreements—
Ministerial Declaration made under section 32 of the Mutual Recognition Act 1992 (Cwlth)—Land Transport and Property Agent Occupations, dated 15 December 2008.
Queanbeyan Water Supply Agreement, dated 16 September 2008—
MR STANHOPE: I seek leave to make a statement in relation to the papers.
Leave granted.
MR STANHOPE: In light of the ACT government’s commitment to implement non-legislative transparency measures, I am tabling two intergovernmental agreements: the ministerial declaration for land transport and property agent occupations and the Queanbeyan water supply agreement.
The ministerial declaration for land transport and property agent occupations is an agreement between the commonwealth, state and territory governments of Australia. This declaration was made under section 32 of the Mutual Recognition Act and gives effect to the express wish of the Council of Australian Governments for full and effective recognition of registered goods and occupations.
In February 2006, the Council of Australian Governments agreed there should be full and effective mutual recognition of occupational licences to enable people with trade qualifications issued in one jurisdiction to be recognised in all jurisdictions. The ACT government reconfirmed this commitment to the ministerial declaration on 24 November 2008.
Within this declaration there are seven areas of mutual recognition addressing licensing, facilitating greater mobility of skilled labour across the jurisdictions. These include driving instructors, drivers transporting bulk dangerous goods, miscellaneous licences, passenger vehicle drivers, property agents, valuers and conveyancers.
The second agreement to be tabled today is the Queanbeyan water supply agreement. It is an agreement between the Commonwealth of Australia, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. The supply of water under this agreement is subject to section 12(1) of the Googong Dam Act, which provides that water stored in the Googong dam area by means of the works constructed under that act shall be supplied primarily and principally for use in the Australian Capital Territory.
The mechanism to ensure the ACT’s water supply from Googong dam is through a 150-year lease granted from the commonwealth to the territory over the Googong dam leased area. This 150-year lease also provides Actew with greater surety over its maintenance program, capital upgrades and longer-term investments.
Pursuant to section 12(3) of the Googong Dam Act, this agreement is between the commonwealth and New South Wales to supply water from the Googong dam area
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