Elise Archer,Attorney-General
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is working hard to keep people safe and secure while minimising the impact of COVID-19 on Tasmanian communities.
A series of additional legislative measures to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 have now been agreed to by State Parliament.
The COVID-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (No. 2) of 2020 (the Bill) provides for special measures related to the effect of the COVID-19 disease emergency in Tasmania by amending or modifying the application of a number of existing Acts.
We have been acting swiftly and responsibly to bring forward necessary legislative measures and key aspects of the Bill include:
- extending the terms of the Members for Huon and Rosevears to ensure those communities continue to be represented until it is safe to hold elections that were due in May. It remains our preference to hold them as soon as possible but when it is safe to do so following advice from Public Health;
- provides that the Tasmanian Health Service may enter into contracts or arrangements as required to ensure that functions, hospital services, medical services, health services and health support services that are reasonably required may be performed or provided during the emergency period;
- provides for a number of measures under the Taxi and Hire Vehicle Industries Act 2008 to assist operators and licence holders in these unprecedented times;
- amends the Emergency Management Act 2006 to provide for infringement offences to be prescribed by regulation and for infringement notices to be issued and served by a police officer in relation to the infringement offences; and
- amends the Public Health Act 1997 to assist officers in their work to reduce the risk of contraction of COVID-19 across Tasmania
These measures follow the passing of the COVID-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act in March.
