What's happening in parliament - March 2024
13 March 2024
Parliament has had a busy start to 2024. There are a range of bills being discussed in both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, and one bill awaiting Royal Assent. Committee hearings are also underway with a number of committees taking public submissions and holding public hearings.
Below are the details of some of the bills before both houses and some details about two committee inquiries which are currently receiving submissions.
Legislative Assembly
Energy and Public Land Legislation Amendment (Enabling Offshore Wind Energy) Bill 2024
This bill was introduced to the Legislative Assembly on the Tuesday 5 March, 2024. It aims to amend a number of Acts, including the Land Act 1958, the Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978, the Forests Act 1958, the National Parks Act 1975 and the Electricity Industry Act 2000 in order to support the establishment of a Victorian offshore wind energy industry. The bill acknowledges the targets set by the Victorian Government to facilitate generation capacity of at least 2 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2032, 4 gigawatts by 2035 and 9 gigawatts by 2040. It also acknowledges that related policy and regulation reforms will support the development of the offshore wind industry.
Legislative Council
Statute Law Revision Bill 2024
The Statute Law Revision Bill 2024 is in its second reading stage, having been introduced to the Legislative Council on the 7th of March 2024. It aims to make minor amendments to a number of acts to correct grammatical and typographical errors, to update references and for other similar purposes.
Waiting for Royal Assent
After a bill passes both Houses, the bill is presented to the Governor for Royal Assent. Once this process is complete, the bill becomes an Act of Parliament. The second clause of the bill usually outlines the date the law comes into operation.
Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (WorkCover Scheme Modernisation) Bill 2023
The Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (WorkCover Scheme Modernisation) Bill 2023 was passed by the Legislative Council on the 6th of March, with council amendments agree to by the Legislative Assembly on the same day, and it is now awaiting Royal Assent. These amendments have added a definition of mental injury, made further provisions for the circumstances in which benefits are paid for mental injury and have introduced an impairment threshold for assessing eligibility of the payment of benefits beyond 130 weeks.
Committee inquiries
Inquiry into securing the Victorian food supply - Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee
In November 2023, the committee was referred an inquiry into securing Victoria’s food supply. The committee will examine the impacts of urban sprawl and population growth on arable land and the farming industry in Victoria. The committee is currently accepting submissions.
Read the official terms of reference or make a submission. The committee is taking submissions until 26 April 2024.
Inquiry into Climate Resilience - Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee
The committee is conducting an inquiry into the main risks facing Victoria’s built environment and infrastructure from climate change and the impact these will have on the people of Victoria. It is also considering the barriers facing Victoria in upgrading its infrastructure to be more resilient and the preparedness for future climate events. The committee is currently accepting submissions.
More information can be found on the committee inquiry page, including the terms of reference and how to make a submission. Submissions are open until 1 May 2024.