PLANNING LAWS

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:46): I have a supplementary question. In light of the legislation coming into effect today, Attorney, would you please confirm if you are proceeding with the regulations to allow planners to be private certifiers, in addition to building surveyors, without professional indemnity insurance and without similar qualifications to building surveyors, as I wrote to you about earlier in the week?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:46): Yes, I have in front of me a letter from the member for Bragg, dated 9 April this year, which indicates that she had, on that day, met with the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors and they had raised a couple of matters with her. I have asked questions of my department and have been advised that the regulations are apparently—this is my advice—well accepted by the industry, and that that includes these people.

As to the question about professional indemnity insurance, that assertion has been made by the deputy leader. I don't believe that is the case, but I am happy to take that up. As for the question about planners, I have to say that there are some people who run this line about planners not being appropriate people to conduct certifications.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I call—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Oh, dear! I shall give—

Mr Gardner: It was Flinders.

The SPEAKER: It was Flinders, was it? I'll accept the assurance of the member for Morialta that the feminine voice I heard interjecting was the member for Flinders and, accordingly, I warn him for the first time. The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: It may have been the member for Kavel, Mr Speaker—he is quite a ventriloquist. Anyway, back to my answer, I understand the insurance point and I'm sure we'll be able to resolve that to the satisfaction of the member for Bragg. We need to not lose sight, however, of the fact that some people who have resisted this reform need to be aware of the fact that, in local councils, the people who are performing this task are not necessarily and, in fact, are generally not planners.

So, we really do need to understand the real environment in which these reforms are taking place. I have the honourable member's letter. I am advised that there is acceptance of the regulations by the industry generally and, in particular, the people on whose behalf she wrote to me. However, I am pursuing the question of indemnity insurance and will advise her in due course.