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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT AMENDMENT (BOARDING HOUSES) BILL 2010





                            New South Wales




Environmental Planning and
Assessment Amendment (Boarding
Houses) Bill 2010


Contents

                                                                        Page
              1    Name of Act                                             2
              2    Commencement                                            2
     Schedule 1    Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment
                   Act 1979 No 203                                         3
     Schedule 2    Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment
                   Regulation 2000                                         8
     Schedule 3    Amendment of Ombudsman Act 1974 No 68                   9




b2010-120-12.d18
                            New South Wales




Environmental Planning and
Assessment Amendment (Boarding
Houses) Bill 2010
No     , 2010


A Bill for

An Act to amend the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to regulate
the operation of boarding houses and other places of shared accommodation; and for
other purposes.
              Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
Clause 1      Bill 2010




The Legislature of New South Wales enacts:                                           1

 1    Name of Act                                                                    2

           This Act is the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment           3
           (Boarding Houses) Act 2010.                                               4

 2    Commencement                                                                   5

           This Act commences 3 months from the date of assent to this Act, unless   6
           commenced sooner by proclamation.                                         7




Page 2
Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
Bill 2010

Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 No 203        Schedule 1




Schedule 1            Amendment of Environmental Planning                                   1
                      and Assessment Act 1979 No 203                                        2

[1]   Section 118B Inspections and investigations                                           3

      Omit "or photographs" from section 118B (e).                                          4

      Insert instead ", photographs, films, audio, video or other recordings".              5

[2]   Section 118J In what circumstances can entry be made to a residence?                  6

      Insert at the end of section 118J (d):                                                7
                           , or                                                             8
                     (e) if the person authorised to enter premises under this              9
                           Division has reasonable grounds to believe that:                10
                            (i) the premises concerned are being used for the              11
                                 purposes of a boarding house, or other place of           12
                                 shared accommodation, of a class prescribed by the        13
                                 regulations, and                                          14
                           (ii) the use is in contravention of this Act.                   15

[3]   Section 118J (2)                                                                     16

      Insert at the end of section 118J (as amended by item [2]):                          17

             (2)   A reference in this section to a use that is in contravention of this   18
                   Act is a reference to a use that is:                                    19
                   (a) in contravention of section 76A (1) or 76B, or                      20
                   (b) in the case of development referred to in Division 10               21
                          (Existing uses) of Part 4--otherwise in contravention of         22
                          this Act or the regulations.                                     23

[4]   Section 124AA                                                                        24

      Omit the section. Insert instead:                                                    25

  124AA     Evidence of use of premises as place of shared accommodation                   26

             (1)   This section applies to proceedings before the Court under this         27
                   Act to remedy or restrain a breach of this Act in relation to the use   28
                   of premises as a boarding house, backpackers' hostel or other           29
                   place of shared accommodation.                                          30




                                                                               Page 3
                 Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
                 Bill 2010

Schedule 1       Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 No 203




              (2)   In any proceedings to which this section applies, the Court may                1
                    rely on circumstantial evidence to find that particular premises               2
                    are used as a place of shared accommodation.                                   3
                    Note. The term "place of shared accommodation" is defined in section 4         4
                    to include "a boarding house, a common lodging house, a house let in           5
                    lodgings and a backpackers hostel".                                            6
                    Examples of circumstantial evidence include (but are not limited to) the       7
                    following:                                                                     8
                     (a)    evidence of the premises being advertised expressly or implicitly      9
                            for the purposes of a place of shared accommodation (including        10
                            advertisements on the premises, on public notice boards, in           11
                            newspapers, in directories or on the Internet),                       12
                     (b)    evidence relating to internal and external signs and notices at the   13
                            premises (including price lists, notices to occupants and offers of   14
                            services) that is consistent with the use of the premises as a        15
                            place of shared accommodation,                                        16
                     (c)    evidence of the layout of rooms, and the number and                   17
                            arrangement of beds, at the premises that is consistent with the      18
                            use of the premises as a place of shared accommodation,               19
                     (d)    evidence relating to persons entering and leaving the premises        20
                            (including the depositing of luggage) that is consistent with the     21
                            use of the premises as a place of shared accommodation.               22

[5]    Section 126A                                                                               23

       Insert after section 126:                                                                  24

      126A   Penalty--boarding houses and other places of shared                                  25
             accommodation                                                                        26

              (1)   A person who is guilty of an offence involving development for                27
                    the purposes of a boarding house, or other place of shared                    28
                    accommodation, in contravention of this Act is liable to a                    29
                    maximum penalty of:                                                           30
                     (a) 10,000 penalty units or (in circumstances of aggravation)                31
                          6 months imprisonment, or both, and                                     32
                    (b) in the case of a continuing offence, a further daily penalty              33
                          of 1,000 penalty units.                                                 34

              (2)   For the purposes of this section, a person commits an offence in              35
                    circumstances of aggravation if the offence caused or contributed             36
                    to appreciable danger or harm to any persons.                                 37

              (3)   A reference in this section to development that is in contravention           38
                    of this Act is a reference to development that is:                            39
                    (a) in contravention of section 76A (1) or 76B, or                            40




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Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
Bill 2010

Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 No 203           Schedule 1




                    (b)    in the case of development referred to in Division 10            1
                           (Existing uses) of Part 4--otherwise in contravention of         2
                           this Act or the regulations.                                     3

[6]    Sections 156 and 156A                                                                4

       Insert before section 157:                                                           5

       156   Proof of use of premises as boarding house or other place of                   6
             shared accommodation                                                           7

                    In any legal proceedings under this Act, in addition to any other       8
                    method of proof available, evidence of the alteration of premises       9
                    in a way that is consistent with the use of those premises for the     10
                    purposes of a boarding house or other place of shared                  11
                    accommodation is, until the contrary is proved, evidence that the      12
                    premises are being, or are proposed to be, used for those              13
                    purposes.                                                              14
                    Note. See also section 124AA in relation to circumstantial evidence.   15

      156A   Boarding houses--notification and keeping of Register                         16

             (1)    This section applies to a boarding house in which sleeping             17
                    accommodation is provided for:                                         18
                    (a) 5 or more lodgers, or                                              19
                    (b) 3 or more lodgers in any one bedroom.                              20

             (2)    A proprietor of a boarding house to which this section applies         21
                    must notify the Director-General, in accordance with this section,     22
                    of the following particulars:                                          23
                    (a) the name and address of the proprietor,                            24
                    (b) the address of the boarding house,                                 25
                    (c) the number of lodgers residing at the boarding house,              26
                    (d) the total number of bedrooms provided as sleeping                  27
                           accommodation for those lodgers,                                28
                    (e) such other particulars as may be prescribed by the                 29
                           regulations.                                                    30
                    Maximum penalty: 330 penalty units (in the case of a                   31
                    corporation) or 65 penalty units (in the case of an individual).       32

             (3)    The proprietor must notify the Director-General of the particulars     33
                    referred to in subsection (2):                                         34
                     (a) as soon as practicable after the person becomes the               35
                           proprietor of a boarding house to which this section            36
                           applies, or                                                     37




                                                                                  Page 5
                    Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
                    Bill 2010

Schedule 1          Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 No 203




                       (b)   in the case of a person who, on the commencement of this          1
                             section, is a proprietor of a boarding house--as soon as          2
                             practicable after that commencement.                              3

              (4)      The Director-General is to keep a Register of Boarding Houses           4
                       containing the particulars required to be notified to the               5
                       Director-General under this section.                                    6

              (5)      For the purposes of enabling the Director-General to keep the           7
                       Register up-to-date, the proprietor of any boarding house to            8
                       which this section applies must notify the Director-General of          9
                       any change in the particulars referred to in subsection (2),           10
                       including the date on which the change occurred. The proprietor        11
                       must notify the Director-General as soon as practicable after the      12
                       change occurs.                                                         13
                       Maximum penalty: 330 penalty units (in the case of a                   14
                       corporation) or 65 penalty units (in the case of an individual).       15

              (6)      If any premises cease to be a boarding house to which this section     16
                       applies, the person who, immediately before that cessation, was        17
                       the proprietor of the boarding house must notify the                   18
                       Director-General of that cessation and the date on which it            19
                       occurred. The person must notify the Director-General as soon as       20
                       practicable after the cessation occurs.                                21
                       Maximum penalty: 330 penalty units (in the case of a                   22
                       corporation) or 65 penalty units (in the case of an individual).       23

              (7)      The Director-General is to ensure that the Register is made            24
                       publicly available in such manner as the Director-General              25
                       determines.                                                            26

              (8)      The Director-General may enter into arrangements with councils         27
                       in relation to the notification scheme provided for by this section.   28

              (9)      Without limiting subsection (8), any such arrangements may             29
                       make provision for the collection and disclosure of information        30
                       by or to the Director-General or to a council for the purposes of      31
                       this section.                                                          32

             (10)      The regulations may make provision for or with respect to              33
                       charging or payment of fees for services provided in connection        34
                       with this section.                                                     35

             (11)      This section has effect despite anything to the contrary in the        36
                       Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.                  37

             (12)      In this section:                                                       38
                       Director-General means the Director-General of the Department          39
                       of Services, Technology and Administration.                            40




Page 6
Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
Bill 2010

Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 No 203   Schedule 1




                   proprietor of a boarding house means:                             1
                   (a) in the case of a boarding house consisting of premises that   2
                         are leased--the lessee who is entitled to immediate         3
                         possession of the premises, or                              4
                   (b) in any other case--the owner of the premises concerned.       5

[7]   Schedule 6 Savings, transitional and other provisions                          6

      Insert at the end of clause 1 (1):                                             7
             Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding               8
             Houses) Act 2010                                                        9




                                                                          Page 7
                   Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
                   Bill 2010

Schedule 2         Amendment of Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000




Schedule 2                Amendment of Environmental Planning                                   1
                          and Assessment Regulation 2000                                        2

      Schedule 5 Penalty notice offences                                                        3

      Omit the matter relating to section 125 (1) of the Act in relation to                     4
      contravention of section 76A (1).                                                         5

      Insert instead:                                                                           6


         Section 125 (1) of the Act in relation to   In the case of development relating to a
         contravention of section 76A (1)            Class 1 or Class 10 building:
                                                     (a)     $750 for an individual
                                                     (b)     $1,500 for a corporation
                                                     In the case of development for the
                                                     purposes of a boarding house, or other
                                                     place of shared accommodation,
                                                     consisting of premises of a class
                                                     prescribed for the purposes of
                                                     section 118J (1) (e) of the Act:
                                                     (a)     $5,500 for an individual
                                                     (b)     $11,000 for a corporation
                                                     In any other case:
                                                     (a)     $1,500 for an individual
                                                     (b)     $3,000 for a corporation
         Section 125 (1) of the Act in relation to   In the case of development for the
         contravention of section 76B by carrying    purposes of a boarding house, or other
         out development for the purposes of a       place of shared accommodation,
         boarding house, or other place of shared    consisting of premises of a class
         accommodation                               prescribed for the purposes of
                                                     section 118J (1) (e) of the Act:
                                                     (a)     $5,500 for an individual
                                                     (b)     $11,000 for a corporation
                                                     In any other case:
                                                     (a)     $1,500 for an individual
                                                     (b)     $3,000 for a corporation




Page 8
Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Boarding Houses)
Bill 2010

Amendment of Ombudsman Act 1974 No 68                                 Schedule 3




Schedule 3             Amendment of Ombudsman Act 1974                                 1
                       No 68                                                           2

      Section 30 Annual reports                                                        3

      Insert after section 30 (1):                                                     4

           (1A)    Without limiting subsection (1), the Ombudsman must report on       5
                   the Ombudsman's work and activities in relation to any              6
                   complaints made about the conduct of a council, or an authorised    7
                   officer of a council, in the exercise of powers under               8
                   section 118J (e) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment       9
                   Act 1979.                                                          10




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