Hon Martin Aldridge questions the legality of a notice issued by the Director of Energy Safety prohibiting facsimile transmission of electrical notices, given that the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 allow it. The answer reveals the notice was unlawful and revoked.

AnsweredQoN 2977Legislative Council
Asked
9 June 2020
Portfolio
Commerce

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 with reference
to regulation 52A, and I ask: (a) does regulation 52A(2a) provide for notices of completion and
preliminary notices to be transmitted by facsimile; (b) does the Notice issued by the Director of Energy Safety and published in
the Government Gazette on 14 June 2019 prohibit the use of facsimile
transmission; and (c) if yes to (b), is the Notice issued by the Director of Energy Safety
unlawful as it contravenes regulation 52A(2a)?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
11 August 2020
Responded by
Minister for Regional Development representing the Minister for Commerce
Response time
9 days
(a) Yes.
(b)-(c) By notice published in the Government Gazette on 14 June 2019, the Director of Energy Safety declared that as of 1 July 2019 service of preliminary notices and as of 1 October 2019 service of notices of completion could only be effected via eNotice.
Despite the declaration, Building and Energy and the relevant network operators continued to accept paper based notices after the stated cut-off dates. Building and Energy where subsequently advised that it did not have the ability to make such a declaration. This declaration therefore had no legal effect and was revoked by subsequent notice published in the Government Gazette on 23 June 2020.

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