Page 1907 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 6 June 2017
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be the national regulator of charities. The ACNC is best placed to provide that one-stop shop regulation role for charities, particularly those that work across jurisdictions.
Through this bill we will be making it easier for charities to report on their activities by removing the requirement for charities registered with the ACNC to also report to Access Canberra. We believe it is sufficient for charities to only report once and that the appropriate body is the national regulator—the ACNC. The bill also provides for a memorandum of understanding between the ACNC and the ACT government so that we can continue to work together to streamline administrative processes for charities. The government is committed to making it easier for charities and looking for opportunities to adopt the “report once, use often” principle.
In addition to businesses and charities, this bill will help people who want to enter certain trades. Those wishing to become locksmiths or work with security equipment will no longer need to obtain prescribed training qualifications before applying for a licence. This has been particularly frustrating for applicants in the ACT as few training courses are held in the territory. Applicants have previously had to travel interstate, which is an unnecessary barrier and has now been removed. The ACT will now join the majority of other states and territories in not requiring specific training qualifications for this kind of licence. We are pleased to be making it easier for businesses and for increased employment.
Finally, a broad range of measures in this bill support the effective and efficient operation of the government as regulator. ACT government compliance inspectors will have a new offence provision available to address licensed agents who are non-compliant with requirements to have trust money audited. It may sound like a small change and not even appear at first look to be red tape reduction, but it is something that will significantly reduce the time and money spent pursuing action through the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal for relatively minor compliance issues.
Breed-specific requirements applying to greyhounds in public places will be removed. These provisions, relating to muzzling and limiting the number of greyhounds being walked at any one time, are the only breed-specific requirements we have for dogs in the ACT. Expert advice from our external consultation indicates there is no basis for singling out this breed for specific restrictions.
The Public Bathing Act 1956 will be repealed altogether. The offences and the regulations contained in it are duplicated in more effective forms in other legislation. As I noted when presenting this bill to the Assembly, the measures it includes will deliver tangible benefits to ACT businesses, charities and the community. Unnecessary fees, paperwork and processes will be removed. Businesses and charities will have more time to do what they do best—provide goods and services to the people of the ACT.
As a whole, this bill will help to ensure that the territory’s regulations are more finely tailored to achieve public benefits and that regulations that no longer serve their
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