Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed at its meeting on 13 December 2013 to streamline its council system from 22 councils to eight.

The five legislative councils—including the Australia and New Zealand Forum on Food Regulation (FoFR)—will continue as per legislative requirements, outside the operation of COAG.

At the FoFR meeting on 27 June 2014, ministers agreed to change the name of the FoFR to the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation.

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (the FSANZ Act) requires amendment to reflect the name change.

Amending the FSANZ Act with a new name presents an opportunity to make other amendments in the same bill to improve the clarity and operation of the legislation including minor administrative amendments in relation to the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation.

The amendments will improve regulatory clarity and provide greater clarification for businesses and FSANZ by improving consistency in the way in which the FSANZ act outlines procedures for consideration of food regulatory measures. For example, the bill will allow the Authority (Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)) to give written notice to only those appropriate government agencies that the authority considers have an interest in the matter to which the notice relates, rather than to all agencies as is the case at present. I thank the House.

Debate adjourned.