Page 1389 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 3 May 2016
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The second significant change is with cleaning work. Cleaning work, in section 2.2(1), is now extended to “the collection or sorting of waste at, or for, an identified waste management facility”. I note that it is the minister who determines what an identified waste management facility is. I notice that the WCRA, the Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association, have a number of concerns. They do not see that it is appropriate. I quote point 5 from their submission: “In particular, the WCRA submits that the extension of the scheme to the waste disposal sector presents a number of undesirable consequences for that sector as demonstrated in the CBC submission.” That is the Canberra Business Chamber submission. I will get to that when we talk about aged care.
So again there are concerns about what the government is attempting to do here, particularly that we now have the minister able to define it. It will only be a notifiable instrument; it will not be a disallowable instrument. So the minister can now determine that a facility is an identified waste management facility for section 2.2(1)(b); it will be at the whim of the minister. Again, that is probably not how we should do this.
The question is: what becomes an identified waste management facility? Is it just the tip? Is it the MRF, the recycling facility at the tip? Does it extend to small businesspeople who collect trash packs, for instance? Are their sites to be included in this now as well? The minister needs to make it quite clear what he will say is an identified waste facility. And you have to question why it is only a notifiable instrument.
That brings us to the aged-care sector, new clause 12, “What is the community sector industry?” They are going to insert “(ia) the industry of providing residential aged care services” and “(ib) the industry of providing community aged care services”. It just inserts a new definition. It was brought in to include residential aged care and community aged care with effect from 1 July 2016.
The Canberra Business Chamber has commented on behalf of the aged-care industry. Let us face it: aged care is a growing industry; we want people in that industry; we want people to stay in that industry. But you would have to ask: is aged care one of those industries where people are leaving in droves and, therefore, denied the claim of long service? The government could not tell us in the briefing. I thank the minister for the briefing. I said, “So what percentage?” All they have got is national percentages, and it seems that there is some 20 to 25 per cent turnover. I am told by the industry that it is not true in the ACT.
The basis of good aged care is that, particularly for those whose mental faculties decline, and that happens, familiarity is a very important part of the provision of good aged-care services. All of those firms are working to keep their workers. They are claiming that the turnover, particularly in the ACT, is nowhere near what the Productivity Commission said was the national average. So there are serious questions there.
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