Australian Bankers' Association
OrganisationReferenced in 3 bills
Farm Business Debt Mediation Bill 2016
This bill forces banks and other lenders to offer farmers mediation before they can enforce a farm mortgage, giving struggling farmers a structured chance to negotiate outside of court. It also renames QRAA as the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority, lets industry bodies run their own biosecurity accreditation schemes, clears the way for viruses to be used as pest control, and allows Queensland cannabis growers to supply seed to medicinal cannabis producers.
Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2016
This bill removes the so-called 'gay panic' defence by stopping killers from using an unwanted sexual advance as grounds for reducing murder to manslaughter, except in exceptional cases. It also packages a long list of other criminal law tidy-ups, covering criminal proceeds confiscation, court evidence, juries, Magistrates Court procedure, and sentencing enforcement.
Water Legislation Amendment Bill 2015
This bill undoes several water law changes that the previous government passed in 2014 but which had not yet taken effect. It puts ecologically sustainable development principles back into the purpose of the Water Act 2000, removes 'water development options' that would have given large infrastructure proponents an early exclusive claim over water, and removes the ability to declare 'designated watercourses' where a water licence would not be needed. It also fixes a 2005 technical mistake in setting up the Lower Herbert Water Management Authority and confirms that existing river improvement trusts continue to operate.