Page 2944 - Week 10 - Thursday, 7 October 2021

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Lastly, the bill makes two amendments of a temporary nature. COVID-19 measures in the Associations Incorporation Act 1991 to enable certain obligations such as the conduct of annual general meetings to be fulfilled in a COVID safe way and which are due to expire on 8 October 2021 will be extended to enable the measures to operate until 12 months after a COVID-19 emergency. This will ensure that the measures are in place for as long as they are needed to help associations function appropriately and keep their members safe.

As I foreshadowed at the beginning of my remarks, I propose to move amendments at the detail stage to reinstate in the Children and Young People Act 2008 expired COVID-19 provisions which will provide the director-general with the power to declare that a COVID-related emergency exists in the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre for the duration of the COVID-19 public health declaration.

Once again, I thank all members for their contributions to the debate and I commend the bill to the Assembly.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Bill agreed to in principle.

Detail stage

Clauses 1 and 2, by leave, taken together and agreed to.

Clause 3.

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong—Attorney-General, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction) (5.54): I move amendment No 1 circulated in my name and table a supplementary explanatory statement to the amendments [see schedule 1 at page 2953].

I will speak, now, to this group of amendments to explain them both for the Hansard and for colleagues. This particular amendment, No 1, includes the Children and Young People Act 2008 in the list of legislation amended by the Operational Efficiencies (COVID-19) Legislation Amendment Bill. Subsequent to this, I will move amendments that reinsert expired COVID-19 provisions in section 149 of the Children and Young People Act.

The provisions provide the director-general with the power to declare that a COVID-19 emergency exists in relation to a detention place. The director-general may make an emergency declaration for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. If required, the emergency declaration can last longer than the standard three days permissible under the Children and Young People Act for an emergency declaration not related to a COVID-19 emergency. A declaration of emergency allows the director-general to place restrictions on activity, movement, access and communications within Bimberi Youth Justice Centre, where those measures are necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.


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