Page 3395 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 17 August 2010
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An ongoing environmental concern is the disposal of plastic bags. In this regard, the government will be introducing the Plastic Bags Ban Bill 2010 to ban the supply of single use shopping bags.
A number of legislation changes are to be made to support the government’s agenda for reform. In the Justice and Community Safety portfolio, the government will undertake a range of work to ensure that a fair and peaceful community is maintained.
As part of the government’s continuing commitment to improve the efficiency of the territory’s courts, the ACT Courts Legislation Bill will seek to address jurisdictional arrangements in courts. It follows on from the government’s consultation about establishing a district court jurisdiction in the ACT.
A Bail Amendment Bill is to be introduced to create processes that will promote the Magistrates Court as the primary jurisdiction for bail decisions while retaining appropriate ACT Supreme Court jurisdiction. Through these measures, the ACT community will have improved access to justice that upholds fundamental human rights.
Legislation is needed to ensure that people in the territory can enjoy leisure activities involving the consumption of alcohol in a manner that gives regard to issues of the health, safety and welfare of all persons concerned. Further to extensive review of ACT liquor laws, prior to introduction of the new Liquor Bill, and the release of an exposure draft of a new liquor regulation in the first half of this year, the Liquor (Consequential Amendments) Amendment Bill is to be introduced. It will affect a range of transitional and consequential amendments to facilitate the implementation of the Liquor Bill 2010 when passed by the Assembly.
In follow-up of amendments to commonwealth legislation regarding sexual offences against children, the government will amend the Crimes (Child Sex Offenders) Act to include these offences in the act’s schedule to ensure that convicted offenders can be registered on the Australian national child offence register. The bill forms an important part of protecting the safety and human rights of those most vulnerable in our community, our children.
An amendment to the Firearms Act will address interjurisdictional considerations around professional shooters engaged by the Department of Territory and Municipal Services.
Two bills will amend the ACT workers compensation scheme in the Industrial Relations portfolio. The first will reinforce the role and function of the scheme to ensure appropriate outcomes for injured territory workers by introducing a robust injury assessment, impairment, determination and dispute resolution regime. This will streamline processes, provide greater rigour to the overall compensation framework and introduce a benefit structure aligned to return-to-work outcomes of the scheme.
The second will clarify operation of model law provisions regarding the state of connection for injured workers. Specifically, the bill will resolve the uncertainty
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