Review of Redundant and Unclear Legislation
Third Report

Chair's Foreword

This is the Third Report to the Parliament by the Redundant Legislation Subcommittee. The Third Report continues the work of the Subcommittee commenced in 1994 pursuant to a reference by the Governor-in-General requiring the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee to review redundant and unclear legislation.

The Subcommittee’s First Report was tabled in Parliament in 1994. Annexed to that Report was a draft Statute Law Revision Bill, which has since been passed as the Statute Law Revision Act of 1995 ("SLRA"). The SLRA repealed a considerable number of Acts that were unproclaimed, spent or no longer relevant.

The Second Report of the Subcommittee, tabled in November 1995, reviewed a wide range of Acts on a portfolio by portfolio basis. Recommendations were made in the Report for the repeal of appropriate Acts.

The Third Report continues the valuable work of the Subcommittee in lightening the load of the Victorian Statute Book. More than sixty Acts have been reviewed by the Subcommittee in preparation for this Report. A number of these Acts are the subject of particular inquiries. Reports in relation to some inquiries have already been tabled in Parliament, and others will be tabled in the near future. A second draft Statute Law Revision (Repeals) Bill is annexed to the Third Report which, if passed by the Parliament, will repeal over 250 Acts!

I wish to thank the Chair of the Subcommittee, the Hon. Maree Luckins MLC, and the Members of the Subcommittee, Mr Robert Cameron MP, Mr Carlo Carli, the Hon. Peter Katsambanis MLC and Mr Murray Thompson MP, for their enthusiastic participation in the preparation of the Third Report. The success of this reference is also due to the valuable assistance of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, Ms Rowena Armstrong, and her staff.

I thank Dominique Saunders and Nadia Krivetz, former and current Redundant Legislation Legal Officers respectively, who carried out the research, corresponded with the relevant Departments and interested parties, and drafted the Report.

Finally, thanks are due also to the staff of the Subcommittee, namely Helen Mason, Executive Officer, Rhonda MacMahon, former Assistant Executive Officer, Simon Dinsbergs, current Assistant Executive Officer, and Richard Kings, Officer Manager, for their untiring work, commitment and enthusiasm.

Mr Peter Ryan, MP
Chair
Scrutiny of Acts & Regulations Committee

Last update 29/8/99 ©Parliament of Victoria