Page 5906 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011
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public inspection during business hours. The amendment to provide for a public register does not remove any of the safeguards the section already provides for.
Another key amendment in the bill is the proposal for at least one person in every food business to be assigned food safety responsibility—a food safety supervisor. This will be a person trained in food safety competency units and they will have the responsibility to educate other food handlers on how to apply food safety knowledge in the day-to-day operations of the food business.
I mentioned earlier that the Health Protection Service has identified in its recent enforcement action that there appears to be a lack of knowledge on the part of some registered proprietors and their staff on food safety standards. This is of concern to the regulator and to the government. The introduction of food safety supervisors is intended to address this issue. I envisage that in time all food businesses in the ACT will have the capacity to conduct in-house analysis of their operations for potential hazards and take necessary corrective action. The food safety supervisor will be charged with ingraining a culture of internal food safety controls within these businesses. The bill delays the commencement of the food safety supervisor scheme for up to 18 months to allow the industry the time to implement this proposal. The Health Protection Service will be engaging industry on training and other aspects of implementation in the coming months.
For the information of members, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales have implemented similar food safety supervisor requirements. This emphasises the importance other Australian states are placing on appropriate food safety skills and knowledge within food businesses.
The bill includes at schedule 1 amendments to harmonise the Food Act with the Criminal Code 2002. As members will be aware, as a consequence of the adoption of the Model Criminal Code by the ACT, a number of acts prior to 2002 require amendment to bring them into line with the language of the Criminal Code, clearly stating fault and physical elements, or alternatively strict liability.
Members will be aware that the ACT government is currently undertaking a regulatory impact statement process on a food business rating scheme commonly termed “scores on doors”. The public consultation process concluded in September 2011; the views from all food industry stakeholders were obtained on a “scores on doors” scheme for the ACT. That consultation also included the initiatives outlined in this bill. In relation to the “scores on doors” scheme, the submissions are currently being reviewed and informing the development of the regulatory impact statement.
This bill relays a key message from the ACT government that food safety matters are important and that we need to ensure that legislation adequately reflects community concerns. The amendments proposed in this bill will do much to improve transparency. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Hanson) adjourned to the next sitting.
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