Page 1505 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 April 1991
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eligibility, once established, continues indefinitely, it has been necessary to make provisions to protect the rates revenue base. The Bill therefore provides that, where a rebate recipient is or becomes ineligible for the rebate, then the rebate is terminated and any amount due to the Government as a consequence of the incorrect claims of a rebate is recoverable from the ratepayer.
Normal appeal provisions which enable a person to lodge an application with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a review of a decision to adjust liability for rates are included in these provisions also. Mr Speaker, I now present the explanatory memorandum for the Bill.
Debate (on motion by Mrs Grassby) adjourned.
BUILDING (AMENDMENT) BILL 1991
MR DUBY (Minister for Finance and Urban Services) (10.48): Mr Speaker, I present the Building (Amendment) Bill 1991. I move:
That this Bill be agreed to in principle.
Mr Speaker, this Bill seeks to introduce measures that will limit the potential for outbreaks of legionnaires' disease in the ACT. Legionnaires' disease is one of a number of lung infection diseases caused by the legionella family of bacteria. These bacteria are widely distributed in almost all natural and artificial water environments. Modern urban environments provide many sites - such as water supply systems and cooling towers in air-conditioning systems - in which these bacteria may be found.
Infection proceeds through inhalation of colonies of the bacteria into the lungs through clouds of microscopic droplets of water arising from contaminated water sources. Major outbreaks of the disease, such as at Wollongong in 1987, have been associated with these clouds of droplets being blown from air-conditioning cooling towers into the open air, or into the intakes of other buildings' air-conditioning systems. Given the wide distribution of the bacteria, control measures have concentrated, not on eliminating the bacteria, but on preventing the growth and distribution of bacterial colonies in situations where infections may occur. Such infection is particularly likely from cooling towers and similar air-conditioning plants, and the usual response has been to ensure regular inspection and cleaning of such equipment.
Concern nationally and in the States has led to the development of an Australian Standard 3666, for the cleaning and maintenance of such equipment. This standard has been endorsed by Australian health Ministers for the purpose of preventing or limiting legionnaires' disease outbreaks. This Bill will provide for the adoption and
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