Page 4245 - Week 11 - Thursday, 25 October 2018
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the existing provisions the appointment of an emergency controller is automatically terminated seven days after the day the appointment was made or if a state of emergency is declared.
However, in an emergency situation, it is likely that an emergency controller appointed by the Chief Minister outside of a state of emergency will continue if the emergency worsens and a state of emergency is declared. Therefore, the termination of an emergency controller’s appointment on the declaration of the state of emergency is administratively unnecessary and impacts on the continuity of the emergency controller’s role at the most critical time during an emergency situation. Furthermore, there is a risk that the requirement to reappoint the emergency controller, in the chaos of an emergency, gets overlooked and one could have a situation where the emergency controller acts in that role without the necessary powers and protections conferred under the act. Therefore, the bill will amend the act to ensure that, where a state of emergency is declared, the appointment of the emergency controller would not be terminated.
In conclusion, the ACT is facing a challenging bushfire season ahead. With climate change, this scenario is likely to continue. In addition, the ACT continues to operate in a heightened security threat environment which will not abate in the near future. This bill will clarify and further strengthen the legal and policy frameworks for the ACT government to prevent, prepare, respond to and recover from emergencies and ensure the safety of the public in the territory. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Wall) adjourned to the next sitting.
Public Sector Workers Compensation Fund Bill 2018
Ms Stephen-Smith, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MS STEPHEN-SMITH (Kurrajong—Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Minister for Disability, Minister for Children, Youth and Families, Minister for Employment and Workplace Safety, Minister for Government Services and Procurement, Minister for Urban Renewal) (11.13): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Today I present the Public Sector Workers Compensation Fund Bill 2018, hereafter referred to as the bill, to the Assembly. This bill follows the ACT government’s decision to obtain a self-insurance licence under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, the SRC Act.
The intention is that this bill will establish the infrastructure and supporting arrangements for the financial and prudential governance of the territory’s assets in relation to meeting our liability for workers compensation under the SRC Act. Specifically, this bill establishes a separate reporting entity for the management of a
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