Page 2364 - Week 07 - Thursday, 4 August 2016
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Finally, I turn to the issue of the acquisition of property matter that Ms Lawder raised in her comments in relation to the bill. I would simply draw her attention to the response the government has provided through me to the scrutiny of bills committee on this matter. That response makes it clear that, in seeking an ACAT decision to deal with, effectively, a right to exclusive possession of a rental premises, the ACAT is merely dealing with the follow-on consequences of a domestic violence order that has already been made by the Magistrates Court. The Magistrates Court has said that one party cannot reside with or be in the presence of another party, including within the domestic dwelling, and the ACAT is simply dealing with the follow-on consequences of that decision which has been made, effectively, already by a court. It is worth, I think, drawing that to the attention of Ms Lawder.
Overall, I would like to thank members for their support of the bill. I think the reforms, particularly in relation to domestic and family violence, are very important. They remove another barrier—in this case a legal barrier—that often acts as a deterrent for women and children in particular to seek safe sanctuary from domestic and family violence because of the consequences that they currently face in breaking their tenancy agreements. It removes that barrier and it does a good thing in doing so. I also thank the officials of my directorate, the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, for their extensive and considered work over a period of years in relation to this bill.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill 2016
Debate resumed from 7 June 2016, on motion by Ms Fitzharris:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (5.07): The ACT Greens take waste management very seriously and we have a long history of interest in this area. Obviously the significance of the issue has increased over the years. It is one that we have taken a great interest in because the history of waste issues, particularly things like incinerators and burning, has piqued the interest of many Greens members over the years in seeking to avoid pollution and also as a waste of valuable resources. Previously, as the Minister for TAMS, I was involved in the early stages of the development of this legislation and establishing the way for a feasibility study which is helping to shape the future of waste management in the territory.
As minister I was concerned that although Canberra had in the past been a leader in resource recovery it was over time playing less of a leadership role. Indeed the 2015 state of the environment report states at page 72:
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