Page 1374 - Week 04 - Thursday, 10 April 2008
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Mr Corbell: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:
The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission regulates the pricing of water, electricity and sewerage services under the provisions of its enabling legislation the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission Act 1997 (the Act).
Section 20 (Directions about prices) of the Act sets out a number of matters to which the Commission must have regard in making a decision on the level of prices for services. These matters include “the social impacts of the decision” (s 20(2)(g)).
When terms of reference are prepared for an inquiry, the government may amplify requirements for matters that must be taken into account. For example, the terms of reference for the current review of water and wastewater services pricing issued in February 2007 (Disallowable Instrument 2007-65) require the Commission, in arriving at its decisions in relation to the price direction, to have regard for ACTEW’s objectives under the Territory-owned Corporations Act 1990. ACTEW’s objectives include showing “a sense of social responsibility by having regard to the interests of the community in which it operates, and by trying to accommodate or encourage those interests”.
Industry references for an investigation are subject to robust statutory provisions for public processes which enable the community and all stakeholders, including the government, to raise matters with the Commission.
Section 18 of the Act provides that a draft report must be prepared and made publicly available. The Commission must invite interested people to submit written comments about the draft report within a period of not less than 20 days. The Commission is required to take any written comments into consideration in the preparation of its final report. Following the release of a draft report, it is the Commission’s practice to hold public hearings in relation to major reviews. The hearings further enable the members of the public to raise matters and to hear the views of others.
Alexander Maconochie Centre
(Question No 1924)
Dr Foskey asked the Attorney-General, upon notice, on 4 March 2008:
(1) What are the terms of reference for the Community Advisory Group for the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC);
(2) Who will be the members of the Community Advisory Group and how many members will there be;
(3) Was the Chaplains Society approached to provide pastoral care or spiritual guidance for the AMC?
(4) Will the Chaplains Society have any involvement with the prisoners;
(5) Will there be any supervised contact between the male and female prisoners of the AMC, with the aim of improving transition for prisoners,
(6) How did the ACT Government choose the education provider for the AMC;
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