Wednesday, 15 October 2025

 Nick STAIKOS (Bentleigh – Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Local Government) (09:33): I move:

That I introduce a bill for an act to amend the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012, the Estate Agents Act 1980, the Owners Corporations Act 2006, the Conveyancers Act 2006 and for other purposes.

Motion agreed to.

 Tim McCURDY (Ovens Valley) (09:34): I request a brief explanation of the bill.

 Nick STAIKOS (Bentleigh – Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Local Government) (09:34): The bill will amend the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 to require fuel retailers to report their maximum price for the following day, which will be published to give consumers advance notice before it becomes a fixed cap for a 24-hour period. While it will be an offence to sell fuel above a reported fuel price cap, retailers will be able to only lower their prices at any time to remain competitive. It will amend the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 to make a number of amendments, including to establish a transfer of bond scheme to be known as the portable rental bond scheme to address the double bond issue by enabling renters to transfer a bond from one property to another without having to pay two bond amounts at the same time. The bill will also extend gas and electrical safety requirements to all residential rental agreements regardless of when a residential rental agreement was entered into. And finally, the bill amends the Estate Agents Act 1980, the Owners Corporations Act 2006 and the Conveyancers Act 2006 to provide a mechanism for the business licensing to set mandatory continuing professional development requirements.

Read first time.

Ordered to be read second time tomorrow.