Questions Day 2 - Wednesday 27 November 1996
Parliamentary Record 29
Questions for 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 7th Assembly 1994 - 1997
1996-11-27
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Questions
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
Darwin
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QUESTIONS - Wednesday 27 November 1996 membership of their particular assessment panel and may ask for members to be replaced should they wish. CAL accreditation has been available to contractors in the building construction category since May 1995 and the building services and civil works categories since August 1995. As requested by my colleagues this morning, I am happy to pass on this information that they are desperately waiting on. CAL accreditation has been applied to tender evaluation in the building construction industry category since 1 November 1995 and the building services and civil works categories since 1 January 1996. As of today, a total of 584 applications have been received for accreditation. CAL reduced its fees and charges by 20% from July this year, following the gaining of 12 months operational experience, coupled with the number of fully-accredited contractors. Cost to contractors will now be further eased by a simultaneous rationalisation from 115 to 59 of CAL categories for which they need to apply. CAL accreditation is generally accepted and has attracted the interest of other jurisdictions throughout Australia. As advised, Cabinet has recently approved adjusting from $10 000 to $30 000 the thresholds at which government agencies apply the requirements for works and service providers to be CAL-accredited. Following recent consultations, the CAL board of directors is considering fees and charges of around $100 for renewal of accreditation in a single category to $50 000. The board is also looking to simplify its renewal of documentation, including certification by an applicants own accountant. These measures should ease the burden on small contractors. On a related issue, Cabinet also approved changes to the requirement for quality assurance (QA). In order to ensure that this policy is adhered to in a persistent manner, QA procedures will not be applied to projects valued at less than $50 000 unless the Procurement Review Board determines the project to be high risk. QA procedures will continue to be applied to all projects valued at greater than $50 000, but on the basis of the project being determined as low, medium or high risk by the Procurement Review Board. While major contractors have generally embraced the concept of QA systems, many small contractors have struggled, with some spending unnecessary time and expense on superfluous systems and certifications. The rationalisations will ensure QA requirements for a simple, routine job, regardless of value, whereby requirements for a complete project could be full third-party certification. Mr Ah Kit interjecting. Mr POOLE: The small contractors are affected most. I know you are not interested, Jack. Mr Ah Kit: I am interested, but this should be a ministerial statement. Mr SPEAKER: Order! Mr POOLE: Mr Speaker, I know the honourable member for Amhem is not particularly interested in this answer, but I am sure the building industry in the Northern Territory is. 1846