Download original attachment
(PDF file)

This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Bill priorities'.


 
 
LEGISLATION PROPOSED FOR INTRODUCTION 
IN THE 2016 AUTUMN SITTINGS 
 
Bills marked * are proposed for introduction and passage in the Autumn sittings 
ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S 
Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 
-  establish a regulatory framework for the telecommunications sector to better safeguard 
critical systems and data from unauthorised access and interference 
 
Reason for legislation: to implement a Government commitment in response to a 
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security recommendation 
Link to announcement: Media release of 3 March 2015; Media release of 26 June 2015; 
Media release of 27 November 2015 
COMMUNICATIONS AND THE ARTS 
Copyright Amendment (Disability Access and Other Measures) Bill 
-  amend the Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) to streamline and simplify provisions relating to 
disability, education, library and archives sectors provisions 
-  expand the safe harbour provisions in the Act to service providers not just carriage 
service providers 
 
Reason for legislation: to update and improve the operation of existing legislation 
Public and Educational Lending Right Bill 
-  harmonise and streamline the administration of the Public Lending Right and Educational 
Lending Right (ELR) programs by amending the Public Lending Right Act 1985, 
including to incorporate the ELR program and make provision for subordinate 
legislation/legislative instrument to incorporate provisions regarding the ELR program 
 
Reason for legislation: to update the operation of existing legislation 
Legislation Proposed for Introduction in the 2016 Autumn Sittings 
1 
Radiocommunications Bill 
Radiocommunications (Licence Tax) Bill 
Radiocommunications (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Bill 
-  replace the Radiocommunications Act 1992 to implement the Government’s decisions for 
reform of the management of the radiofrequency spectrum by establishing a single 
licensing system, integrating broadcasting spectrum management into the general 
framework, demarcating the roles and responsibilities of the Minister and the Australian 
Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), providing for timely allocation 
processes and giving the ACMA graduated and proportionate enforcement mechanisms 
to deal with breaches of the legislative framework 
 
Reason for legislation: to replace the existing legislation with new legislation 
Link to announcement: Media release of 25 August 2015 
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 
-  establish statutory infrastructure provider obligations on NBN Co Limited in relation to 
the national broadband network and other providers of superfast carriage services where 
required 
-  establish requirements for owners of high-speed broadband networks to operate on a 
structurally separated basis, with powers for the ACCC to authorise functional separation 
and to make other associated amendments 
 
Reason for legislation: to implement, in part, the Government’s response to the National 
Broadband Network Market and Regulation Report by the Panel of Experts led by 
Dr Michael Vertigan AC 
Link to announcement: Media release of 11 December 2014 
EDUCATION AND TRAINING 
Australian National University Bill 
-  renew the university’s legislative framework to ensure that the ANU is able to adapt to 
changes in the higher education environment and achieve excellence across all domains 
of activity 
 
Reason for legislation: to give effect to recommendations of the Review of the Australian 
National University (ANU) Act 1991 and the governance arrangements of the ANU 
(the Walker Review) 
Link to announcement: Media release of 24 June 2015  
Legislation Proposed for Introduction in the 2016 Autumn Sittings 
2 
EMPLOYMENT 
Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Bill 
Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Bill 
Seafarers Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Levy Collection Bill 
Seafarers Legislation Amendment Bill 
-  create new Acts to modernise and improve the Seafarers Safety and Rehabilitation and 
Compensation (Seacare) scheme 
-  create a levy to support the Government’s administration of the Seacare scheme 
 
Reason for legislation: to modernise the Seacare scheme by clarifying its coverage, aligning 
its workers’ compensation and work health and safety provisions with the Comcare scheme 
and establishing a Cost Recovery Levy to fund its effective regulation 
Link to announcement: Senate Hansard Extract of 13 May 2015 
Work Health and Safety Amendment Bill 
-  implement recommendations agreed by the Commonwealth, and a majority of state and 
territory ministers, following the Examination of Work Health and Safety Laws and other 
technical amendments 
 
Reason for legislation: to implement amendments made to the Model Work Health and 
Safety Laws 
ENVIRONMENT 
Air Quality Standards Bill 
-  establish a nationally consistent framework to regulate air pollution from specified 
engines and equipment to achieve better protection of the environment  
 
Reason for legislation: to implement a decision of the 15 December 2015 Meeting of 
Environment Ministers to introduce emission standards for new non-road spark ignition 
engines and equipment to reduce air pollution 
Link to announcement: Agreed Statement of the Meeting of Environment Ministers of 
15 December 2015 
FINANCE 
Appropriation Bill (No. 3) 2015-2016 * 
Appropriation Bill (No. 4) 2015-2016 * 
Appropriation (Parliamentary Departments) Bill (No. 2) 2015-2016 * 
-  propose additional appropriations for expenditure on: the ordinary annual services of the 
Government; other than the ordinary annual services of the Government (for matters such 
as capital works and services, payments to States, Territories and Local Government 
Authorities and equity injections); and the services of the Parliamentary Departments 
 
Reason for legislation: to provide legislative authority for additional expenditure to be 
incurred in 2015-16 
Legislation Proposed for Introduction in the 2016 Autumn Sittings 
3 
Superannuation Laws Amendment Bill  
-  make miscellaneous technical changes to the superannuation arrangements for 
Commonwealth employees, judges and parliamentarians 
 
Reason for legislation: to update and improve the operation of existing legislation 
Public Governance and Resources Legislation Amendment Bill  
-  make a range of amendments to Commonwealth legislation, of a governance or resource 
management nature, as part of the Government’s public management reform and red tape 
reduction agenda 
-  make the final tranche of amendments required to the enabling legislation of 
Commonwealth entities as a consequence of the Public Governance, Performance and 
Accountability Act 2013 (the PGPA Act) 
-  amend: 
  legislation to make consequential amendments to support the sale of Medibank 
Private Limited.  The sale day was 25 November 2014 
  four Acts to address potential risks around breaches of section 83 of the Constitution 
and 
  enabling legislation of Commonwealth entities to harmonise their operation with the 
PGPA Act 
 
Reason for legislation: to amend enabling legislation of Commonwealth entities as a 
consequence of the PGPA Act and make other amendments to Commonwealth legislation, of 
a governance or resource management nature, as part of the Government’s public 
management reform and red tape reduction agenda 
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE 
Registration of Deaths Abroad Amendment Bill 
-  amend references in the Register of Deaths Abroad Act 1984 that are redundant 
-  maintain scope for the Foreign Minister to appoint a Registrar to register overseas deaths 
on behalf of the Commonwealth 
-  remove restrictions on registering overseas deaths 
-  provide the Registrar with broad ranging discretion to register overseas deaths of persons 
who have some connection with Australia 
 
Reason for legislation: to update and improve the operation of existing legislation 
Legislation Proposed for Introduction in the 2016 Autumn Sittings 
4 
HEALTH 
Aged Care Legislation Amendment (Increasing Consumer Choice) Bill * 
-  give effect to the first stage of the aged care reforms announced by the Government in the 
2015-16 Budget, to provide more choice and flexibility for consumers receiving home 
care 
 
Reason for legislation: to implement a Budget decision 
Link to announcement: 2015-16 Budget – Budget Paper No. 2; 2015-16 Budget Fact Sheet 
National Cancer Screening Register Bill 
-  establish a new single National Cancer Screening Register that will be operated by a third 
party and used to support the National Bowel Cancer and Cervical Screening programs 
(with capability to support future screening programs) 
 
Reason for legislation: to implement a Budget decision 
Link to announcement: Media release of 10 May 2015 
IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION 
Migration Legislation Amendment (Code of Procedure Harmonisation) Bill 
-  streamline provisions in the Migration Act 1958 that govern merits review of decisions 
 
Reason for legislation: to consolidate provisions governing review of decisions in Part 5 and 
Part 7 of the Migration Act 1958, following the abolition of the former Migration Review 
Tribunal and the former Refugee Review Tribunal and the amalgamation of their review 
functions into the Migration and Refugee Division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, 
by the Tribunals Amalgamation Act 2015 
INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE  
Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Miscellaneous Matters 
No. 2) Bill  
Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Amendment Bill 
-  clarify and improve the operation of the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas 
Storage Act 2006 
-  amend the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Regulatory Levies) Act 
2003 to provide for imposition of levies for regulation of greenhouse gas storage wells 
 
Reason for legislation: to update and improve the operation of existing legislation 
Legislation Proposed for Introduction in the 2016 Autumn Sittings 
5 
INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
Territories Legislation Amendment Bill 
-  implement further reforms for Norfolk Island by repealing section 18 of the Norfolk 
Island Act 1979 and amending the definition of Australia in the Acts Interpretation Act 
1901 to include Norfolk Island. These changes will have the effect of extending a range 
of key Commonwealth laws to Norfolk Island 
-  make transitional and consequential amendments to other Commonwealth legislation 
-  provide for compulsory voting and representation in the Parliament for Australian 
citizens living on Norfolk Island 
-  address unintended consequences of exclusion from social security for New Zealand 
citizens on Norfolk Island 
-  extend child support arrangements to Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands 
 
Reason for legislation: to implement the Government’s election commitment to undertake 
comprehensive reforms for Norfolk Island to normalise Commonwealth services, and to align 
the child support arrangements for the external territories 
Link to announcement: Media release of 19 March 2015  
Transport Security Amendment (Serious or Organised Crime) Bill 
-  give effect to the Government’s commitment to ensure that people with relevant criminal 
history do not receive a security clearance to work at airport or seaport entry points by 
strengthening the eligibility criteria for the issuing of aviation security identification 
cards and maritime security identification cards 
 
Reason for legislation: to implement an election commitment and a commitment made as part 
of the Government’s response to the National Ice Taskforce Report 
Link to announcement: Media release of 6 December 2015 
TREASURY 
Tax and Superannuation Laws Amendment (2016 Measures No. 1) Bill * 
-  exempt certain assets acquired by Norfolk Island residents before the date of 
announcement from capital gains tax  
 
Reason for legislation: to implement a MYEFO decision 
Link to announcement: Media release of 23 October 2015 
VETERANS’ AFFAIRS 
Rehabilitation and Compensation (Australian Defence Force) Bill 
-  create a separate version of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 to 
apply only to Australian Defence Force members 
 
Reason for legislation: to simplify and improve the operation of existing legislation 
Legislation Proposed for Introduction in the 2016 Autumn Sittings 
6