Page 5385 - Week 14 - Thursday, 30 November 2017

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The other main change is to amend the Electricity Safety Act to create the concept of the electrical wiring rules. The primary technical standard referenced in the Electricity Safety Act is the Australian and New Zealand Standard 3000. While other technical standards can be made by regulation they are not treated the same as regulation 3000. For example, they are not included in the main offences in the act.

The electrical wiring rules will become the technical standard for electrical wiring work in the territory. It will include Australian and New Zealand Standard 3000, but will also incorporate any appendix declared by the minister in a disallowable instrument, and any relevant regulation. This is similar to the concept of the building code created under the Building Act, and the plumbing code created by the Water and Sewerage Act. Both of these laws enable the relevant minister to make appendices to national standards, to vary, or add to, technical standards of those codes in the ACT if required.

The electricity market is undergoing reforms, and new electrical technologies are continually emerging. The ACT government is a strong supporter of new technologies such as battery storage and we are also determined that any electrical work will be done safely and well.

Sometimes technologies and reforms move faster than national standards-developing processes can keep up with. Providing this flexibility in prescribing technical standards is important so that our installation standards do not fall behind. This bill contains amendments to help protect the safety and wellbeing of the public.

Debate (on motion by Ms Lawder) adjourned to the next sitting.

Crimes (Fortification Removal) Amendment Bill 2017

Mr Ramsay, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.

Title read by Clerk.

MR RAMSAY (Ginninderra—Attorney-General, Minister for Regulatory Services, Minister for the Arts and Community Events and Minister for Veterans and Seniors) (11.34): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

Today I present the Crimes (Fortification Removal) Amendment Bill 2017. The bill is the next piece in the suite of legislation that this government has introduced to combat serious and organised crime in the ACT.

Serious and organised crime is not acceptable in our community. The government continues to take a strong stance and implement measures to tackle this issue head on. We are dedicated to ensuring our police have the necessary tools at their disposal to effectively deal with serious and organised crime entities and, where required,


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