Page 2366 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 30 July 2019

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The Bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly on 16 May 2019 following a lengthy and rigorous debate. The Act establishes a new Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) scheme that better supports all people injured in a motor vehicle accident in the ACT.

The MAI scheme will deliver better outcomes for Canberrans by offering everyone who is injured in a motor vehicle accident, treatment, care and income replacement benefits for up to five years to support their recovery. People who are more seriously injured in an accident where someone else was at fault will still be able to make a claim for further support at common law.

This scheme will cover 40 per cent more Canberrans while reducing the cost of premiums. Premiums will be regulated by the Motor Accident Injuries Commission in accordance with guidelines and independent actuarial advice to ensure premiums are fully funded and are not excessive. The Act includes a broad regulation making power to allow a mechanism to be prescribed for what is reasonable actual profits and determine what the consequences are if actual profits differ from this. A regulation can be made in the future if monitoring by the Regulator indicates insurer profits might be higher than is reasonable for the industry.

I note the community interest in this issue and hope that this information helps to alleviate the concerns of petitioners about the new MAI scheme.

Motion to take note of petitions

MADAM SPEAKER: Pursuant to standing order 98A, I move:

That the petitions and responses so lodged be noted.

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (10.42): I would like to speak to the petition regarding the recreation park for the inner north, which I have visited today. This petition came through my office from Dr Hedda Ransan-Cooper, on behalf of residents of the inner north concerned about the safety and accessibility of play spaces in our older suburbs in particular and calling for a destination recreation park for the enjoyment of local families and the enrichment of young people’s lives. The petition has been signed by 565 people and highlights the changing demographics in the inner north.

No longer is the inner north a place which might be considered a place for an older generation but these suburbs have been significantly repopulated by younger people with young families. This has been driven by a number of factors: obviously generational change but also rezoning, urban renewal and of course the impact that light rail is now having. I think we can see this reflecting the fact that many schools in the inner north are now either at or near capacity, and it highlights the young population that is very present through those suburbs.

The petition asks the government to recognise the need to provide facilities for families in the area in light of these changing demographics and the other factors that are impacting on the inner north areas. Dickson, Downer, Watson and Hackett, which


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