Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP (Aged Care) (12:47 PM) —I move:

That the bill be now read a second time.

This bill is an adjunct to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Bill 1998 . This bill serves four key purposes. Firstly, the bill details changes that are necessary to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Act 1987, the ANSTO Act, as a result of the introduction of the ARPANS Bill. This includes repealing those parts of the ANSTO Act that established the Nuclear Safety Bureau and the Safety Review Committee, as these bodies are superseded by the role of the CEO of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, ARPANSA, and by the supporting council and committees.

Secondly, this bill makes transitional arrangements for the transfer of the assets and liabilities of the Nuclear Safety Bureau to the Commonwealth and confers on the CEO of ARPANSA the powers of the Director of the Nuclear Safety Bureau in relation to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. This will ensure that at no stage are the operations and functions of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation unregulated.

Thirdly, the bill provides for transitional arrangements to cover the operation of controlled facilities and handling of radiation sources while applications for licences to cover these facilities and activities are being made under the ARPANS Bill. Finally, the bill repeals the Environment Protection (Nuclear Codes) Act 1978. That act provided for the development and endorsement of codes of practice, which will now be undertaken under the auspices of ARPANSA.

The consequential amendments set out in this bill will ensure the appropriate and seamless operation of two Commonwealth acts: the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Act 1987 and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998. I commend this bill to the House and present the explanatory memorandum.

Debate (on motion by Mr McClelland) adjourned.