LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ADVERTISING MATERIAL) AMENDMENT BILL

Introduction and First Reading

Mr HANNA (Mitchell) (10:53): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to amend the Local Government Act 1999. Read a first time.

Second Reading

Mr HANNA (Mitchell) (10:53): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

This bill contains a very simple proposition. It is a bill to ban junk mail in letterboxes that are marked 'no junk mail' or with a similar message. Importantly, an exception is provided in this proposal for advertising material of a political, religious or charitable nature. Of course, it is possible for regulations to prescribe other matters. For example, regulations might want to go into the detail of people who advertise local garage sales or a lost pet, and that sort of matter. It is directed at the major retailing corporations whose usually poorly paid workers (foot soldiers) deliver catalogues and the like to letterboxes. A lot of people enjoy receiving junk mail, and this would not prevent that. A lot of people like going through all the catalogues and marking out the specials.

I know that the members for Giles and Torrens, in particular, spend an awful lot of time going through catalogues, looking for the specials and going down to the local shops and saving money by buying enormous quantities of whatever it is. The more you buy the more you save, is what I am told. This is really to stop the nuisance for people who really do not want junk mail. There is an increasing amount of the commercial material that I am talking about; it is enough to fill any letterbox: usually once at the end of the weekend and once during the week.

I want to ensure that the 'no junk mail' stickers on the letterboxes of people who do not want junk mail actually have some power. There is a substantial fine of up to $2,500, but I am sure that that would only be applied in the case of the most persistent offenders. I have provided for an expiation fee of $200, and that would be administered by local government. So, if people are caught transgressing—either the people who deliver or the corporations who instruct them to deliver—they can be hit with an expiation fee. I doubt that it will lead to very many cases of people being penalised because, once this gets out there, people will be much more careful about depositing material in letterboxes which are marked 'no junk mail'.

This proposal arises directly from representations I have received from constituents. I think it will be quite a popular measure. If anything, a lot of my constituents would prefer it to go further and not have exemptions for political, religious or charitable material. We are really just asking the corporations, and those who deliver for them, to respect those people who have marked 'no junk mail' on their letterbox, and this will give some legislative backing to that request on behalf of householders.

I will briefly go through the clauses of the bill. The first three clauses are formal. The fourth clause is the substantive clause, which sets out the relevant offences for people who deposit advertising material and for those who cause a person to deposit such advertising material. Clause 4(3) provides the exemptions. I have already mentioned that those exemptions include political, religious or charitable material, but I have given other examples that might be prescribed by the regulations. Then there is an evidentiary provision which facilitates the council taking action against people if a member of the public witnesses transgression either in respect of their own letterbox or someone else's. I commend the bill to the house.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mrs Geraghty.