Page 1196 - Week 04 - Thursday, 26 March 2015
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These differing approaches to exemptions are unnecessary and can lead to confusion. The concept of “building work” is work related to “a building” under section 6 of the act and, as such, the concepts are closely interwoven and the exemption structure should be the same for both. The bill amends section 152 of the act so this exemption provision refers to both building work and building. Consistent with the approach to the exemptions in existing section 152, the new provision makes it clear that exemptions for building work can apply to an act as a whole or any specified element of the act.
I would now like to turn to the editorial amendments made by the bill. In 2012, a territory plan variation—technical amendment 2012-06—reconfigured how plantation forestry areas are identified in the territory plan. Unfortunately, at the time, two pieces of legislation that refer to plantation forestry areas were not updated to reflect the changes.
The bill also amends the Environment Protection Act schedule 1 and the Planning and Development Regulation section 1.92 and schedule 3 to ensure the references to plantation forestry areas are up to date and consistent with the territory plan.
A further amendment is being made to the Planning and Development Regulation. In 2011, schedule 3, part 3.4, of the regulation was amended to extend an exemption to third party appeals to the Kingston foreshore area. A map of the Kingston foreshore was included in part 3.4. However, the heading of the part was not amended to reflect this. The bill amends the heading.
The final editorial amendment is to the Utilities Act to correct a reference to the statutory office of “director-general” in section 45, which was mistakenly inserted by the Utilities Technical Regulation Act 2014 which commenced on 1 March 2015. The correct statutory office is “technical regulator”.The bill proposes a number of minor policy, technical and editorial amendments to acts and regulations, as an omnibus bill should. The amendments are non-controversial and make good practical sense.
The bill demonstrates this government’s commitment to effective and responsible use of the omnibus bill process. I note that, in the past, members of the community have expressed appreciation at being able to access one bill to monitor the minor changes that are happening to legislation in the planning, building and environment sphere.
The bill also helps this Assembly to monitor the effective operation of territory laws. A single bill ensures that changes to those laws are easily accessible to all Canberrans. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Coe) adjourned to the next sitting.
Children and Young People Amendment Bill 2015
Mr Gentleman, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
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