Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee

The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and Other Legislation Amendment Bill was referred to the Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee on 11 September 2024, late in the 57th Parliament. The parliament was dissolved in October 2024 for the state election before the committee could report on this bill. The bill was subsequently re-introduced in the 58th Parliament as a new bill. Note: the committee report linked in the database (5724T1963) is incorrectly associated with this bill and actually relates to the Termination of Pregnancy (Live Births) Amendment Bill 2024.

The Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee examined the bill over several weeks, receiving 30 submissions and holding a public briefing and hearing in Brisbane. The committee unanimously recommended the bill be passed, finding broad stakeholder support for restricting access to illicit vaping and nicotine products. While some submitters advocated for a harm reduction approach rather than prohibition, the committee supported the Commonwealth and Queensland regulatory framework to ban supply and commercial possession of recreational vapes. The committee carefully considered human rights implications, particularly regarding expanded entry powers for authorised officers, and was satisfied the limitations were reasonable and justified.

The Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee examined the bill over approximately six weeks, receiving 20 submissions and holding public hearings with industry, local government, and legal stakeholders. The committee recommended the bill be passed, finding that its strengthened environmental powers and penalties were justified. Submitters raised significant concerns about the new environmental enforcement orders, the general environmental duty offence, and insufficient consultation, but the committee was satisfied that the provisions struck an appropriate balance. Stephen Andrew MP filed a dissenting report opposing the bill.

The Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee examined the bill over several months, receiving 38 submissions, holding two public briefings with Queensland Health, and hearing from 18 witnesses at a public hearing. The committee recommended the bill be passed, finding it had sufficient regard for the rights and liberties of individuals and was compatible with human rights. Key areas of examination included midwife-to-patient ratios in maternity wards, allowing nurses and midwives to perform early medical terminations of pregnancy, quality assurance committee disclosure obligations, and amendments to the Mental Health Act. Two statements of reservation were filed by opposition and crossbench members, primarily raising patient safety concerns about extending medical termination of pregnancy prescribing to non-doctor health practitioners.