NSW Associations Must Give Member Lists for Free, and Online Planning Documents Can Be Used in Court

Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (No 2) 2024

11 Feb 2025: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Legislative Council

Legislative Assembly

Assent

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Topics

budget appropriation court procedures government transparency land use local government privacy property impoundment public spaces unattended property

Introduced by: The Hon John Graham MLC (ALP); Jo Haylen MP (ALP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

References to the Impounding Act 1993 are replaced with the Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act 2021.
Incorporated associations must give a copy of their committee members' register to anyone who asks for it. This must be done for free and within a reasonable time.
People appointed to the Information and Privacy Advisory Committee cannot be officers of a public sector agency. University academic staff are an exception to this rule.
Planning documents, maps, or plans are now admissible as evidence in court if they are published on the NSW legislation website, the Gazette, or the NSW planning portal.
Officers who confiscate recreational equipment or other objects must tell the owner in writing where the items are being stored.
The government can now waive, refund, or exempt people from paying fees for a Photo Card.
Parliamentary clerks are allowed to publish parliamentary documents, including on the NSW Parliament website.
Several old Appropriation Acts and Statute Law Acts from 2018 to 2022 are removed from the law books.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Alister Henskens LIB

“I indicate that the Opposition will support the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (No 2) 2024, as we did in the upper House. It contains uncontentious matters, as have a number of the miscellaneous and justice bills brought forward this week by the Government. I do not need to repeat what was said on behalf of the Opposition in the upper House.”

Official source →

Charishma Kaliyanda ALP

“I contribute to debate on the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (No 2) 2024. In 1603, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet posed a question that plagued humanity for centuries: "To bee, or not to bee? That is the question.”

Official source →

Edmond Atalla ALP

“I make a contribution to debate on the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (No 2) 2024. I support the bill, which is part of the Statute Law Revision Program that has effectively maintained and modernised New South Wales legislation for over 40 years.”

Official source →

Jo Haylen ALP

“The Legislation Review Committee has considered the bill and published its report in the Legislation Review Digest No. 22/58, dated 12 November 2024.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Second Reading Speech, Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (No 2) 2024

The Hon. JOHN GRAHAM, Minister for Roads — 2024-10-24

The Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill (No 2) 2024 continues the Statute Law Revision Program which has been in place for 40 years. I am sure members would be very familiar with the program, given statute law bills have featured in most sessions of Parliament since 1984. Statute law bills are an effective method for making minor policy changes. They are also significant in maintaining the quality of the New South Wales statute book. Schedule 1 to the bill contains policy changes of a minor and uncontroversial nature. The schedule gives effect to proposals that are too inconsequential to warrant the introduction of a separate amending bill. The schedule contains amendments to 16 Acts and one regulation. The schedule makes an amendment to the Community Land Management Act to ensure that the correct standards are referred to for the auditing of accounts and financial statements.