Statute Law Amendment (Red Tape Reduction) Bill 2014

Statute Law Amendment (Red Tape Reduction) Bill 2014

Introduction Print

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

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BILL LC INTRODUCTION 24/6/2014

Clause Notes

PART 1—PRELIMINARY

Clause 1outlines the purposes of the Bill, which are to amend the Food Act 1984,theCity of Melbourne Act 2001,and the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007 and to further improve the operation of those Acts. Theamendments are intended to reduce some of red tape requirements contained in those Acts and to close the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target scheme from 1January 2016.

Clause 2provides the commencement date for the Bill, which will come into operation on the day after the day that the Bill receives the Royal Assent. The red tape reductions being made by this Bill can commence immediately to reduce the burden on those affected bythe amendments.

PART 2—AMENDMENTS TO THE FOOD ACT 1984

Part 2 of the Bill amends the Food Act 1984. It—

removes the requirement for the name of the proprietor of a food business to be prominently displayed on a food premises; and

makes consequential amendments.

Clause 3repeals section 17 of the Food Act 1984. That section requires the name of the proprietor of a food business to be prominently displayed on a food premises.

Clause 4repeals section 51A(2)(a) of the Food Act 1984. That provision provides for the liability of an officer of a body corporate that has failed to comply with section 17. This provision is no longer required if section 17 is repealed.

Clause 5removes the offence of failing to comply with section 17 from the list of infringement offences in Schedule 1 to the Food Act 1984.

PART 3—AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY OF MELBOURNE ACT 2001

Part 3 of the Bill amends the City of Melbourne Act 2001 to dissolve the Docklands Coordination Committee.

Clause 6Repeals Part 4A of the City of Melbourne Act 2001, which provides for the establishment of the Docklands Coordination Committee.

PART 4—AMENDMENT OF VICTORIAN ENERGY EFFICIENCY TARGET ACT 2007

Clause 7amends section 17 of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007 to provide that a certificate can only be created if the prescribed activity it relates to has been undertaken on or after the commencement of the VEET scheme and before 1 January 2016, rather than 1 January 2030. The effect of this amendment is to support the closure of the VEET scheme at the end of 2015.

Clause 8amends section 27 of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007 to provide that the section does not apply for the year commencing 1 January 2016, rather than 1 January 2030, or any subsequent year. Section 27 provides that a relevant entity (large energy retailers) must not have an energy efficiency certificate shortfall for a year in which the relevant entity makes a scheme acquisition (a purchase of energy for on-sale to prescribed customers). The effect of this amendment is to support the closure of the VEET scheme at the end of 2015.

Clause 9amends section 30 of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007 to set the VEET scheme target for 2015 at 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions, and to provide that there is no obligation to set a target for 2016 or any subsequent year. The effect of this amendment is the closure of the VEET scheme at the end of 2015.

Clause 10amends section 32 of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007 to provide that greenhouse gas reduction rates do not need to be set for 2016 or any subsequent year. These rates are set by Order in Council and are used to determine a relevant entity's certificate liability under section 27 each year, so that the total liability for all relevant entities meets the VEET scheme target. The effect of this amendment is to support the closure of the VEET scheme at the end of 2015.

Clause 11amends section 33 of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007 to provide that the obligation for relevant entities to lodge annual energy acquisition statements does not apply for 2016 or any subsequent year. The effect of this amendment is to support the closure of the VEET scheme at the end of 2015.

PART 5—REPEAL OF AMENDING ACT

Clause 12provides for the automatic repeal of this amending Act on the first anniversary of the day on which all of its provisions have come into operation. The repeal of this Act does not affect in any way the operation of the amendments and repeals made by this Act (see section 15(1) of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984).