: I speak on the Better Regulation Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2024. I am proud that the Minns Labor Government will assist the people of New South Wales by simplifying some of the language in legislation. It has listened to stakeholders and is taking action. Issues had been identified by NSW Fair Trading and the Building Commission NSW during routine departmental review of legislation. Before question time the member for Pittwater was grappling with the reason for the bill coming before the Parliament. I say for his benefit that the bill will introduce amendments to 24 Acts and four regulations to improve the clarity and accuracy of the laws and reduce the regulatory burdens that the previous Government left us with. The proposed amendments in the bill aim to improve accuracy by removing unnecessary, outdated and redundant references; limit misinterpretations by clarifying the intent of legislation; and modernise provisions to create more future-fit laws that support customers by reducing regulatory burden.
The legislation is administered by the Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading. I thank the Minister for the action that he, his team and departmental staff have taken to work on the bill, which demonstrates the Minns Labor Government's continued commitment to deliver laws that are not only responsive to change but also clear, accurate and reliable. For example, the amendment to section 58 of the Fair Trading Act supports the Government's FuelCheck app. Currently, the FuelCheck app only provides the location of electric vehicle charging stations, but the amendment will allow FuelCheck to be expanded to capture fuller details, including the charging costs at EV stations. With sales of EVs increasing by more than 120 per cent between 2022 and 2023, this amendment will make the FuelCheck app more useful for even more consumers.
Updates will be made to the Home Building Act to ensure that the requisite certifications are accurate and up to date regarding the competency within the Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package for the installation and testing of medical gas pipeline systems, which is crucial. Additionally, the Tow Truck Industry Act 1998 will be amended to allow all new tow truck operator licence or tow truck driver certificate applicants to be granted a driver's certificate for three or five years, rather than only one year. This will provide consistency to licence duration across Fair Trading and ensure that the industry is not disadvantaged. These reforms will reduce unnecessary red tape and improve the operation of laws across multiple industries. The bill before the House proposes amendments that will clarify, update and improve the operation of many of these laws. I commend the bill to the House.
