CARAVAN PARKS AND
CAMPING GROUNDS — FENCING HEIGHT
682. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Local Government:
I refer to section 31, ''Minister
may vary, modify or grant exemptions from subsidiary legislation'', of
the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act 1995.
(1) How many
requests for or formal applications for variations to restrictions imposed by
the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulations 1997 has the minister
received since March 2017?
(2) How many of those requests or
applications been supported and how many have been denied?
(3) The relevant
section 31(2) of the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act 1995 states that the
minister may grant an exemption to the regulations if that regulation, and I quote,
''might reasonably be modified or varied without detriment to the public
interest''. What detriment to the public interest has the minister used
as justification to refuse any application or request for assistance?
(4) How many of
these applications have sought exemption to the fencing height restrictions of
1.2 metres imposed by the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulations 1997?
(5) Given that my
own less-than-average height of 1.7 metres would allow me to easily look over
any fence designed for security or privacy in a caravan or camping ground or
park home facility that was restricted to 1.2 metres, as could the Minister for
Local Government, what reason could there possibly be to suggest that higher
fencing would be to the detriment of the public interest and should be
rejected?
The PRESIDENT: I am not sure
whether you are casting aspersions on the Minister for Local Government's
height there!
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question, and I feel his pain.
(1) There were six requests.
(2) Three were approved and three
were rejected.
(3) �Applications
have previously been rejected due to the public detriment they would have
caused regarding health, safety or fairness.
(4) There were two.
(5) It would depend on the
circumstances.