Inquiry into the draft Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards - Terms of Reference
The Committee is to consider and report on the draft Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards covering:
the appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposed Premises Standards in achieving their objects; the interaction between the Premises Standards and existing regulatory schemes operating in state and territory jurisdictions, including the appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposed Model Process to Administer Building Access for People with Disability; whether the Premises Standards will have an unjustifiable impact on any particular sector or group within a sector; and any related matters.
House of Representatives Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
On Wednesday 3 December 2008, the Attorney-General, The Hon. Robert McClelland MP, on behalf of the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator the Hon. Kim Carr, asked the Committee to inquire into and report on the draft Disability (Access to Premises - Buildings) Standards.
The Committee invites interested persons and organisations to make submissions addressing the terms of reference by Friday 27 February 2009. Please refer to our brochure called preparing a submission for more information.
In order to facilitate electronic publishing of submissions, the Committee would prefer them to be emailed to laca.reps@aph.gov.au or sent on disk or CD-ROM to the Committee Secretariat in Microsoft Word® format.
Government Press Release
New inquiry on Disability Access Standards
The House Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee is to review the appropriateness and effectiveness of the Australian Government’s draft Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards (standards).
The draft standards were developed by the Australian Building Codes Board and the Australian Human Rights Commission to make public buildings more accessible for people with mobility, vision and hearing impairments. Current legislative obligations to provide non-discriminatory access to public buildings are enforced on an ad hoc basis driven by individual complaints. The new standards aim to provide a platform for systemic improvements in disability access by clarifying building requirements for owners, managers and developers.
In announcing the inquiry today, the Chair of the Committee, Mark Dreyfus QC MP, invited interested organisations and individuals to comment on the draft standards. ‘These standards will further protect and promote the full participation of people with disabilities in the community and have important implications for the development of buildings that are accessible to the public.
“Submissions to the inquiry will inform the Committee in its assessment of the draft standards. I encourage relevant disability and building industry representative bodies, state, territory and local government organisations, people with disability and other members of the public to examine the draft standards, consider how it impacts on their interests, and make a submission to our inquiry”, Mr Dreyfus said.
Additional media information
For interview, contact the Committee Chair, Mr Mark Dreyfus QC, MP on (02) 6277 4305 (Canberra) or in his electorate on (03) 9769 1955; or Mr Dreyfus’ media adviser, Tim Lisle-Williams on 0431 178 280.
For background information, including the full terms of reference, please visit the inquiry website at www.aph.gov.au/laca or contact the Committee Secretariat on (02) 6277 2358.