EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Northern Territory National Emergency Response (Town Camps) Declaration 2007 (No. 1)
Summary
The Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007 (the Emergency Response Act) provides for special measures to apply in areas defined as prescribed areas. These measures relate to the sale and consumption of alcohol, the requirement to audit publicly funded computers and the licensing of community stores. Additional measures dealing with prohibited material, in new Part 10 of the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, also apply in prescribed areas.
The term prescribed area is defined in section 4 of the Emergency Response Act and paragraph 4(2)(d) provides that it includes each area in the Northern Territory identified in a declaration made under subsection 4(3). Subsection 4(3) provides that the Commonwealth Minister may declare areas known as town camps in the Northern Territory to be prescribed areas for the purpose of the definition of prescribed areas.
The Northern Territory National Emergency Response (Town Camps) Declaration 2007 (No. 1) (the Declaration) provides for 42 specified town camps to be prescribed areas for the purposes of section 4 of the Emergency Response Act. This means that the special measures outlined above will also apply to these town camps. This is essential as similar problems are evident within these town camps as those identified in communities within the currently defined prescribed areas.
Explanation of the provisions
Section 1 of the Declaration provides that it is called the Northern Territory National Emergency Response (Town Camps) Declaration 2007 (No. 1).
Section 2 provides that the Declaration commences on the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
Section 3 provides that each area listed in Schedule 1 of the Declaration is a prescribed area for paragraph 4(2)(d) of the Emergency Response Act.
Schedule 1 of the Declaration lists 42 town camps in the Northern Territory.
Consultation
No community consultation was undertaken in declaring these areas, as the Government had made a decision about areas to be covered by the emergency measures based on concerns about protection of children. Consultation did occur with Land Branch, FACSIA and the NT Government.