Page 743 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 8 April 2014
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The bill also includes several amendments to the Energy Efficiency (Cost of Living) Improvement Act that was passed in 2012. The operation of this scheme seems to be gradually being finessed through a number of legislative changes as we get closer to various stages of implementation.
This particular bill makes a number of additions and changes that will clarify the process for retailers and the administrator on various fronts, including the calculation of the energy savings obligations, the re-determining of an energy savings calculation by the administrator up to five years after the compliance period ends, the impact on priority household results if abatement factors are not compliant, the breadth of what constitutes an audit of information, and an outline of information sharing that can occur under the legislation between various concerned agencies, both territory agencies and non-territory agencies, around compliance with the act.
There are also a number of provisions around the responsibilities of the administrator of the scheme in regard to any contravention of a code of practice, including actions that the administrator can direct the retailer to undertake, the notice given and the process for rectification orders.
The bill outlines a number of measures in regard to actions the administrator may take in regard to public safety if they believe that a person’s activities might present or are likely to present a risk of death or injury to a person. It allows the administrator to place a restriction on the person to prevent them from undertaking the activity, and then prevents the activity from adding to generate an abatement factor under the act. The bill also outlines how restrictions can be reviewed and lifted.
The amendments to this bill are substantial in number and detail. They replicate other acts in their structure and function. They appear to be designed to assist with the implementation of what is a relatively new scheme and they provide clarity about the powers of the administrator and the obligations of retailers operating under the act. I welcome them.
This bill before us today is complementary to that previous bill and another bill we passed in this place last year. I also note that Mr Corbell has tabled amendments today, which are technical, as they merely respond to the changes made to the legislation three weeks ago.
I am pleased to support this bill and these amendments today. I look forward to the higher standards across the construction sector as a result, as well as clearer processes and responsibilities for energy retailers.
I also look forward to the more substantial legislative changes to the building and construction legislation, which I believe we will see later this year, which will be the culmination of many years of work which has been going on in the background between ACTPLA and industry and community stakeholders as a result of the building quality forum three years ago. I believe we will see a discussion paper about this in coming months, which I look forward to.
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