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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 12 Hansard (13 November) . . Page.. 4072 ..

MR STEFANIAK: I move:

That this Bill be agreed to in principle.

Mr Speaker, I have pleasure in presenting the Long Service Leave (Building and Construction Industry) (Amendment) Bill 1997. The building and construction industry is one of the key elements in the Government's commitment to developing a strong and growing private sector. Already, Mr Speaker, the ACT Government spends over $4m annually on training in the building and construction industry, and we are always interested in other ways of encouraging training in this sector.

The building and construction industry is often characterised by short-term employment by multiple employers. For a number of years the industry and government have discussed options for generating training funds. With the exception of the apprenticeship scheme, ongoing skill development has to date been generally overlooked. This means that erratic changes in the level of construction taking place in the ACT may result in a high demand for skilled labour, labour that is often not available.

Mr Speaker, several measures to improve the training provision in that sector have been implemented in the past. The importance of training in the industry was recognised with the establishment of the Construction Industry Training Fund under the Long Service Leave (Building and Construction Industry) (Amendment) Act 1990. Ten per cent of employer long service leave contributions was directed to the fund. In 1996 the fund was increased to 40 per cent for two years, to conclude on 31 December 1997. At the time it appeared that a consensus on an alternative funding mechanism was emerging. Over the last two years circumstances have changed. The building and construction industry, Mr Speaker, has experienced difficult times. This has raised questions about the most appropriate way to provide training for the industry. Discussions on measures to improve training are continuing with the industry. It would be inappropriate in these circumstances, and without clear proposals for the future, to allow the fund to lapse.

The Bill I am introducing today provides for the fund to continue to operate for a further six months to 30 June 1998. This will allow time for a recently released discussion paper that raises a number of options, including a training levy and a voluntary industry controlled and managed scheme, to be studied thoroughly by the interested parties. This timeframe will also enable consultations on options for training in the industry to be completed and a position developed for consideration. The Government looks forward to the views of industry and the community on these options. Consultations on the discussion paper close on 18 December this year. This will allow the outcomes of the consultations to be considered and a decision taken on future training arrangements for the industry during the first half of 1998. The main benefit derived from maintaining the fund for a further six months will flow from the lack of disruption to this consultation process.

Mr Speaker, the fund will be used for such diverse purposes as formally recognising the skills of construction workers, introducing new training arrangements for trades, and improving training opportunities for apprentices. The Government acknowledges that continuing the fund is an interim measure only and, as I said, is keen to

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