| Long Title |
The purpose of this Bill is to develop, as part of an attempt by the State Government in conjunction with the other State and Federal Governments, a common national framework for the regulation of rail safety. That framework is based on the establishment of a cost-effective, consistent approach to rail safety which incorporates nationally agreed standards for the building, maintenance and operation of railways while eliminating barriers to third party entry into the rail industry. The Bill will clearly set out common rail safety standards and criteria that all persons wishing to own or operate a railway will need to meet in order to be accredited owners or operators. The standards to be applied will be national, based on industry best practice and subject to ongoing development through the work of the Standards Association of Australia. It features mutual recognition of railway accreditation granted in other Australian jurisdictions and incorporates a process of conciliation and mediation as a means of resolving disputes. |