Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party, Minister for Community Services) Share this | Hansard source

Again, it does go to the nature of the intervention. This is an emergency. While the intent of the Public Works Act is, in normal circumstances, to provide a series of standards and processes under which you may need to move to dig a ditch or to plan something, we think in the nature of the emergency we need to ensure that we can do this in a timely fashion. As with the other governance arrangements that I touched on in a previous submission, it is clear that we do need to move swiftly. We want to ensure that standards will be maintained, but we also need to ensure that we do not have to refer to some other piece of legislation that may not assist us in that matter. With regard to your previous question, I understand that we will not be enacting this legislation for some 28 days. So one would hope, as we will be sitting again before that time, that I can provide information to you. You will not be unlawful travelling to the community on Saturday, and it gives us some time to provide you with this highly technical piece of information.