Mr. Niall Brunell:

The Department is getting similar correspondence to committee members on the timeline for this so I want to take the opportunity to clarify exactly what that looks like. We are working towards enactment by the end of the year. We are at the mercy of the Houses as to the schedule for the Bill but that is what we are working towards in the Department and we see that as achievable. There will be a period between enactment and operationalisation of the new system because the Act will need to be commenced. In particular, there are a number of regulations for largely procedural operational matters around fee schedules and so forth, which need to be placed on a statutory footing. We need the amendment Bill to do that and we can do that quickly. We are talking about a matter of weeks but there will be a process for making those necessary regulations and, for example, putting the fee schedules and approved forms in order, and then commence the amended 2015 Act in full.

To be clear and avoid an erroneous message being sent, we will not see operationalisation of the full system by the end of this year. It will be early next year, but we are working towards enactment for the end of this year.