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| Ms LAWRIE (Justice and Attorney-General): Madam Speaker, I move that the bill now be read a second time. The main purpose of this bill is to make consequential amendments to various Northern Territory laws, including updating superseded references affecting typographical errors, grammatical errors and omissions. None of the amendments in the bill amount to changes in government policies or programs. I now outline some of the amendments within the bill. The bill amends a number of pieces of legislation to reflect changes in the system of local government following the enactment of the Local Government Act in 2008. References to ‘community government councils’ are, therefore, omitted from the Anti-Discrimination Act, Australasia Railway (Special Provisions) Act, Darwin Port Corporation Act, Energy Pipelines Act, Evidence Act, Gaming Machine Act, Liquor Act, and the Education College and Schools Council Regulations. Where required, these references are substituted with references to ‘Local Government Shire Councils’. The Electrical Workers and Contractors Act, Building Act, and Electricity Network (Third Party Access) Act are all amended to omit references to the ‘Power and Water Authority’ and substitute with references to the ‘Power and Water Corporation’. The amendments result from the enactment of the Power and Water Corporation Act. Similarly, the bill updates references in the Crown Lands Act and Litter Act to omit ‘Conservation Commission’ and substitute with the ‘Parks and Wildlife Commission’. Section 5(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act is amended to take into account the changed regime of motor vehicles fees and charges as a result of the introduction of a Motor Vehicles Fees and Charges Regulations. Further, the bill omits the phrase, ‘unless the contrary intention appears’, from the definition sections of a number of acts. This amendment reflects current drafting practice and ensures consistency across the statute book. This amendment will have no change to the interpretation of the act as currently, under section 18 of the Interpretation Act, the courts will apply interpretation provisions except so far as the context or subject matter otherwise indicates or requires. A number of changes are also made to the Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act. Sections 81(8) and 81(15) of the act are amended to omit references to the repealed Companies Act and the National Companies and Securities Commission, and are replaced with references to the Corporations Act and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission. There are other amendments made by the bill which are of a very minor nature, and are generally self explanatory. I commend the bill to honourable members, and I table a copy of the explanatory statement. Debate adjourned. |