BILLS FOR INTRODUCTION IN PARLIAMENT THIS WEEK
Published Monday, 20 August, 2007 at 05:39 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
For Parliamentary Week beginning Tuesday 21 August, 2007.
Premier Peter Beattie said today that the bills to be introduced to Parliament this week include:
THE COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND CHILD GUARDIAN AMENDMENT BILL 2007, Premier and Minister for Trade. Media contact: 3224 4500.
The Queensland Government is moving quickly to clarify the need for people who provide health, counseling and support services to children to have a blue card.
The amendments spell out in some detail that persons providing health services to children which involve physical contact or who provide a service to a child who is alone will be required to obtain a blue card. The Bill also makes it clear that people providing counseling or support services to a child on a one-on-one basis or over the phone or internet are required to obtain a blue card. Registered health practitioners remain exempt from the requirement to obtain a blue card where they are providing health services. Likewise, the exemption for government service providers and licensed care services has been retained.
URBAN LAND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BILL 2007, Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure. Media contact: Steve Keating 3224 4379.
The Bill proposes to establish the Urban Land Development Authority which is part of the State Government’s Queensland Housing Affordability Strategy. The Authority will plan, undertake, promote, coordinate and control the development of certain areas of land in Queensland for urban purposes. The Bill provides for the Authority to nominate sites as urban development areas. Particular parts of the State to be declared as urban development areas have already been chosen in Bowen Hill, Woolloongabba, Fitzgibbon, Mackay and Hamilton.
REVENUE AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL. Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure. Media contact: Steve Keating 3224 4379.
The Bill proposes to amend the Duties Act 2001 to enable the electronic lodgment and payment of duties. The amendments are similar to those made in 2005 to support electronic lodgment of payroll tax. The Bill also proposes legislative amendments to facilitate the sale of the Queensland Government’s wind assets and gas business. This sale was announced as part of the ClimateSmart 2050 policy. Proceeds from the sale will contribute to the Queensland Climate Change Fund.
GAMBLING LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL, Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure. Media contact: Steve Keating 3224 4379.
The Bill contains tough new measures designed to stop people under 18 from entering and gambling in casinos. The penalty for a casino operator, employee or agent who allows a minor to enter or stay in a casino will be increased from $1,500 to $7,500 for the operator and $3,000 for the employee or agent. A new offence for allowing a minor to gamble or even try to gamble will attract a maximum penalty of $15,000 for the operator and $3,000 for their staff or agents. Another new offence will target other adults who help minors enter casinos. Other proposals include strengthening licensing provisions for major art unions.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL, Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism. Media contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004.
The Bill will make minor or technical amendments to Acts in the Environment Protection Agency’s portfolio. It includes: an amendment to the devolution of powers for Local Governments which will improve flexibility for Councils in dealing with permit fees for environmentally relevant activities; and the protected plants amendments to the Nature Conservation Act 1992. The protected plants amendments improve practical enforcement of the Act by separating the offences into four tiers of offences with different maximum penalties associated with each tier depending on their severity.
THE QUEENSLAND HERITAGE AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2007. Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism. Media contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004
The draft amendments to the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 follow an extensive review of Queensland’s heritage framework. It is the first review since the Heritage Act was introduced 15 years ago. The new laws include set timeframes to speed up the entry of places to the state heritage register, changes to the way development on heritage places was assessed and new steps to discourage the “demolition by neglect” of heritage buildings.
Media contact: Premier’s Office 3224 4500
Premier Peter Beattie said today that the bills to be introduced to Parliament this week include:
THE COMMISSION FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND CHILD GUARDIAN AMENDMENT BILL 2007, Premier and Minister for Trade. Media contact: 3224 4500.
The Queensland Government is moving quickly to clarify the need for people who provide health, counseling and support services to children to have a blue card.
The amendments spell out in some detail that persons providing health services to children which involve physical contact or who provide a service to a child who is alone will be required to obtain a blue card. The Bill also makes it clear that people providing counseling or support services to a child on a one-on-one basis or over the phone or internet are required to obtain a blue card. Registered health practitioners remain exempt from the requirement to obtain a blue card where they are providing health services. Likewise, the exemption for government service providers and licensed care services has been retained.
URBAN LAND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY BILL 2007, Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure. Media contact: Steve Keating 3224 4379.
The Bill proposes to establish the Urban Land Development Authority which is part of the State Government’s Queensland Housing Affordability Strategy. The Authority will plan, undertake, promote, coordinate and control the development of certain areas of land in Queensland for urban purposes. The Bill provides for the Authority to nominate sites as urban development areas. Particular parts of the State to be declared as urban development areas have already been chosen in Bowen Hill, Woolloongabba, Fitzgibbon, Mackay and Hamilton.
REVENUE AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL. Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure. Media contact: Steve Keating 3224 4379.
The Bill proposes to amend the Duties Act 2001 to enable the electronic lodgment and payment of duties. The amendments are similar to those made in 2005 to support electronic lodgment of payroll tax. The Bill also proposes legislative amendments to facilitate the sale of the Queensland Government’s wind assets and gas business. This sale was announced as part of the ClimateSmart 2050 policy. Proceeds from the sale will contribute to the Queensland Climate Change Fund.
GAMBLING LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL, Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure. Media contact: Steve Keating 3224 4379.
The Bill contains tough new measures designed to stop people under 18 from entering and gambling in casinos. The penalty for a casino operator, employee or agent who allows a minor to enter or stay in a casino will be increased from $1,500 to $7,500 for the operator and $3,000 for the employee or agent. A new offence for allowing a minor to gamble or even try to gamble will attract a maximum penalty of $15,000 for the operator and $3,000 for their staff or agents. Another new offence will target other adults who help minors enter casinos. Other proposals include strengthening licensing provisions for major art unions.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL, Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism. Media contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004.
The Bill will make minor or technical amendments to Acts in the Environment Protection Agency’s portfolio. It includes: an amendment to the devolution of powers for Local Governments which will improve flexibility for Councils in dealing with permit fees for environmentally relevant activities; and the protected plants amendments to the Nature Conservation Act 1992. The protected plants amendments improve practical enforcement of the Act by separating the offences into four tiers of offences with different maximum penalties associated with each tier depending on their severity.
THE QUEENSLAND HERITAGE AND OTHER LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL 2007. Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism. Media contact: Karla Steen 3336 8004
The draft amendments to the Queensland Heritage Act 1992 follow an extensive review of Queensland’s heritage framework. It is the first review since the Heritage Act was introduced 15 years ago. The new laws include set timeframes to speed up the entry of places to the state heritage register, changes to the way development on heritage places was assessed and new steps to discourage the “demolition by neglect” of heritage buildings.
Media contact: Premier’s Office 3224 4500