Robert McClelland (Barton, Australian Labor Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Fremantle for her question and I acknowledge her interest in and commitment to this area. I am pleased to report to the House that today the government has tabled the Disability (Access to Premises—Building) Standards 2010 and earlier in the day, with my colleagues Senator Kim Carr, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and Parliamentary Secretaries Shorten and Marles, I launched the access to premises standards. Indeed, we launched them at the National Museum, which itself is a public building which represents a tangible example of what the standards aim to achieve.

Work on establishing these standards has been going on for over 10 years, but since coming to office the government has made this a clear priority. The standards will, for the first time, provide minimum access requirements for persons with a disability in respect of a range of new buildings and upgraded buildings such as workplaces, schools, universities, shopping centres, entertainment venues and certain accommodation. The standards will ensure that people with a disability can access employment, general services and entertainment and become involved in the community on an equal basis.

The standards will apply to new buildings and also existing buildings that are undergoing significant upgrade. They will not, accordingly, represent an impost on existing building owners. Our approach is essentially based on common sense and good faith, and we believe the standards strike the right balance for both the disability sector and the building industry sector. Indeed, the standards for the sector will provide greater certainty for business by providing for a national consistency and reducing the different regulatory arrangements. They will be achieved through harmonisation of the Building Code of Australia and the disability standards.

The standards essentially recognise the practical realities of what can be reasonably required and also enforced. For example, they contain an exemption to cover situations where meeting the standard would cause unjustifiable hardship for persons undertaking the upgrade. The standards will come into operation on 1 May next year, and until then the government will work with industry to ensure that industry has all the necessary information prior to the implementation of the standards.

I take the opportunity to commend the work of Senator the Hon. Kim Carr, who has worked with me on the standards, the Hon. Bill Shorten, Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, and also Richard Marles, Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry, who have worked very closely with Senator Carr. I also acknowledge the work of the Human Rights Commission and, in particular, Mr Graeme Innes and his staff in developing these standards. I would also like to thank members from both sides of the House who participated in the consideration of the standards through the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.

The standards are a concrete example of the government’s work to achieve more consistent, systemic and widespread improvements in building access for people with a disability. There are currently over four million people in Australia with a disability, and this figure is going to increase with the ageing of the population. The finalisation of these standards represents an important part of ensuring an inclusive Australian society. The government will continue to work hard to improve those rights and fully include all people in the social, economic and cultural life of the country. I thank all those involved in this important milestone.

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