Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (1) to (5), circulated in my name, together:

(1) Clause 5, page 8 (lines 14 to 22), omit the definition of public health matters, substitute:

public health matters includes the following:

(a) health emergency management;

(b) health security;

(c) health protection;

(d) health promotion;

(e) preventative health;

(f) disease control;

(g) environmental health;

(h) the health effects of climate change;

(i) occupational exposures;

(k) injury prevention.

(2) Clause 11, page 16 (after line 25), after subparagraph (11)(h)(viii), insert:

(viiia) bodies whose objects include mitigation of, and adaption to, climate change;

(3) Clause 78, page 63 (line 24), omit "5 year period", substitute "3 year period".

(4) Clause 78, page 64 (line 3), omit "5 year".

(5) Page 64 (after line 12), after clause 78, insert:

78A Biennial statement on health effects of climate change

(1) Within 6 months after the end of every second financial year, commencing two years after the commencement of this Act, the Minister must prepare a statement of activity that relates to the health effects of climate change including:

(a) data and information collection, coordination, analysis, and dissemination relevant to the impacts on Australians' health of climate change; and

(b) public education and awareness raising; and

(c) planning and preparation for future health threats; and

(d) development of health guidelines and standards; and

(e) reports or materials published; and

(f) emerging threats; and

(g) reviews and learnings from past experience; and

(h) the effectiveness of the Commonwealth's policies in reducing risks.

(2) A statement under subsection (1) is to be known as a Biennial Statement on Health Effects of Climate Change in Australia.

(3) The Minister must cause a copy of this biennial statement to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 5 sitting days of that House after the completion of the preparation of the statement.

78B Biennial statement on pandemic preparedness

(1) Within 6 months after the end of every second financial year, commencing in the year after the commencement of this Act, the Minister must prepare a statement of activity that relates to pandemic preparedness including:

(a) data and information collection, coordination, analysis and dissemination relevant to Australia's pandemic preparedness; and

(b) public education and awareness raising; and

(c) planning and preparation for future health threats; and

(d) development of health guidelines and standards; and

(e) reports or materials published; and

(f) emerging threats; and

(g) reviews and learnings from past experience; and

(h) the effectiveness of the Commonwealth's policies in reducing risks.

(2) A statement under subsection (1) is to be known as a Biennial Statement on Pandemic Preparedness.

(3) The Minister must cause a copy of this biennial statement to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 5 sitting days of that House after the completion of the preparation of the statement.

Amendment (1) refers to the definition of 'public health matters'. Each of the topics listed in the bill relates to forms of public health and harm, and it's clear and obvious that they should be the natural responsibilities falling within the scope of a well-defined and fulsome CDC. This amendment captures the additional harm of occupational exposures and the public health responsibility for injury prevention related to these. I note that the addition of public health exposures and occupational exposures has been supported by the Public Health Association of Australia, the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and even the Australian Council of Trade Unions—a body with which the government may be familiar.

Amendment (2) refers to the functions of the director-general, which set out the centre's advisory role and the intersections with and coordination of bodies with health responsibilities within the CDC. The health effects of climate change are captured under the existing definition of 'public health matters' in this bill, but what is not captured is the importance of the Centre for Disease Control in providing integrated advice in a matter of national and global consequence. These amendments aim to position the CDC as an authoritative and valuable contributor to the understanding of and policy advice on climate change impacts on public health, particularly in the absence of any other national body which currently has this focus.

Amendments (3) and (4) will ensure that the first statutory review of the act will be undertaken within the first three years—and every five years thereafter. The centre is an essential public health authority; we all agree on that. Scrutiny of the establishment and its functions at the earliest opportunity will ensure that it meets public expectations from early in its course.

Amendment (5) will introduce mandatory reporting on matters of national importance, the health effects of climate change, and pandemic preparedness. Its purpose is to inform. That should be a core responsibility of the Centre for Disease Control. It will ensure accountability and transparency of the centre's activities and the whole-of-government preparedness for public health emergencies. Even this weekend, we've seen that they are on the immediate agenda, with elephant seals on the Heard and McDonald islands being affected by bird flu. The next pandemic could be months away—or even less time that that. We need to have reporting requirements which are focused on attention to and resourcing of priority areas. Amendment (5) will provide transparency around government approaches to matters of national importance. It will encourage the culture of science, expertise and public trust that we need, and it will safeguard the core purposes of the Centre for Disease Control.

The reports will relate to two specific areas of public health which are of national importance. The report on pandemic preparedness will ensure we have whole-of-government preparedness for public health emergencies by bringing together information on activities across a range of agencies with functional responsibilities such as research, by making sure we have the appropriate medical stockpile that we need for pandemic preparedness and by ensuring we have appropriate facilities for vaccine production and for emergency management. The process of reporting could identify potential gaps and will provide assurance to stakeholders and the general public of our nation's capacity to respond appropriately to health emergencies.

The report on the health impacts of climate change will ensure we have an appropriate level of resourcing over time and that the body of knowledge around climate change impacts is developed to meet the challenges of the coming decades. A high level of visibility and understanding of this area of public health will better inform climate adaptation and mitigation strategies across all agencies and all levels of government.

A mandatory reporting regime will strengthen the centre's core purpose. It will safeguard the centre's role as a trusted source of scientific knowledge serving the national interest. And so I commend these amendments to the House.

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