Coal Industry Amendment (Fees for Rescue Services) Bill 2002

Explanatory note
This explanatory note relates to this Bill as introduced into Parliament.




Overview of Bill


The object of this Bill is to amend the Coal Industry Act 2001 so as to allow the mines rescue company (being the company approved of under the Act by the Minister for Industrial Relations to provide mines rescue and other services in accordance with the Act) to charge fees for providing rescue services and facilities to deal with an emergency in an underground coal mine in the State. However, such fees are not chargeable in respect of the first 8 hours (or such longer period as the regulations may prescribe) of its provision of such services and facilities in relation to the emergency.




Outline of provisions



Clause 1 sets out the name (also called the short title) of the proposed Act.

Clause 2 provides for the commencement of the proposed Act on the date of assent.Clause 3 is a formal provision giving effect to the amendments to the Coal Industry Act 2001 set out in Schedule 1.


Schedule 1 Amendments

Schedule 1 [2] enables the mines rescue company to charge fees for providing rescue services and facilities (including rescue equipment) to deal with an emergency in an underground coal mine in the State. However, the company is not to charge any fee in respect of the first 8 hours (or such longer period as the regulations may prescribe) during which it provides those services and facilities in relation to the emergency.


Schedule 1 [1] makes it clear that the fact that coal mine owners are obliged under section 19 of the Act to pay contributions to the mines rescue company to fund its mines rescue functions does not absolve them of the liability to pay the fees the company is to be permitted to charge in respect of its provision of rescue services and facilities (as referred to above).


Schedule 1 [3] makes an amendment to a note as a consequence of the amendments made by Schedule 1 [1] and [2].

Schedule 1 [4] allows regulations of a savings or transitional nature to be made as a consequence of the enactment of the proposed Act.

Note: If this Bill is not modified, these Explanatory Notes would reflect the Bill as passed in the House. If the Bill has been amended by Committee, these Explanatory Notes may not necessarily reflect the Bill as passed.

 

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