NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

28 NOVEMBER

Summary of Bills Introduced

Local Government Amendment (No. 3)

This bill amends section 321 of the Local Government Act 1974 (which relates to road access to allotments within land to be subdivided pursuant to the Resource Management Act 1991).

The main purpose of the bill (which is to be achieved by clauses 2 (3) and 3) is to ensure that section 321 (which was affected by the passing of the Resource Management Act 1991) does not require an allotment to have vehicular access to some existing road or private road where that allotment is to be created by the division of an allotment by—

(a) A company lease; or
(b) A cross lease; or
(c) The issue of a certificate of title for any unit or part of a unit on a unit plan.

Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance

This bill establishes an insurance based scheme to rehabilitate and compensate those persons who suffer personal injury.

Part I deals with the interpretation and application of the new Act.

Part II looks at the rehabilitation and prevention of personal injury by covering issues such as vocational rehabilitation and social rehabilitation.

Part III looks at the compensation aspect of the new scheme and deals with issues such as the independence allowance, the death benefit and health care costs.

Part IV looks at claims for payments and Part V deals with reviews and appeals.

Part VI covers issues associated with finance and the new scheme, such as the employers account, the motor vehicle account, the non-earners account and the subsequent injury account.

Part VII covers transitional provisions. Part VIII provides for the continuation of the Accident Compensation Corporation as the Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation, and Part IX covers miscellaneous provisions.

National Superannuation

This bill provides for a revised national superannuation scheme, reimposing the national superannuant surcharge that was to have been abolished from 1 April 1992.

Part I of the bill proposes to amend the Social Welfare (Transitional Provisions) Act 1990 to allow the net rates of national superannuation and veterans’ pensions to be adjusted annually by the percentage movement in the consumer price index, with effect from 1 April 1993. Provision for the income-testing of national superannuation which was to have come into force on 1 April 1992 is also removed.

Part II of the bill provides for an amendment to the Social Security Act 1964 consequential to the removal of the income test.

Amendments to the Income Tax Act 1976 are contained in Part III of the bill. It provides for the restoration of the national superannuant surcharge with the rate altered from 20 percent to 25 percent and altered specified exemption thresholds. The proposed exemption threshold of earnings for single superannuitants is $60 per week of other income, and $120 per week of other income, between them, for married couples.

Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation)

This bill confirms and validates certain subordinate legislation made under enactments providing that the legislation lapses after a time unless confirmed or validated by Act of Parliament.

Part I of the bill:
(a) Validates and confirms regulations under the Agriculture (Emergency Powers) Act 1934;
(b) Confirms regulations under the Primary Products Marketing Act 1953;
(c) Confirms orders under the Customs Act 1966;
(d) Validates and confirms orders under the Tariff Act 1988;
(e) Confirms an order under the Commodity Levies Act 1990.

Part II of the bill repeals earlier enactments, now spent, confirming and validating subordinate legislation and validating certain other matters. It also saves the effect of some validations and savings contained in those repealed enactments.

Parliamentary Service Amendment

This bill, which amends the Parliamentary Service Act 1985 and which comes into force on 1 February 1992,—

(a) Authorises the Parliamentary Service Commission to provide premises for parliamentary purposes and to acquire land and buildings.

(b) Validates leases already entered into and actions already taken by the Parliamentary Service Commission before the commencement of the provisions contained in the bill:

(c) Makes it clear that where a member of the Parliamentary Service Commission cannot be a Minister of the Crown or a Parliamentary Under-Secretary, a Minister or an Under-Secretary cannot be a deputy of such a member:

(d) Provides that the Editor of Debates shall cease to be a principal officer of the Parliamentary Service:

(e) Makes the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives responsible, under the direction of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for the preparation of Hansard.