Australian Capital Territory
Emergencies (Fees) Determination 2013 
Disallowable instrument DI2013-109
made under the 
Emergencies Act 2004, s 201 (Determination of fees)

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Minister has power to determine fees for the purposes of this Act.

Fees in the 2013-14 Financial Year were generally increased from fees in the previous Financial Year by a Wage Price Index (WPI) forecast of 3% and rounded to an appropriate value; apart from those fee items (No. 279 – 292), are set in line with other jurisdictions, particularly New South Wales.

This instrument contains amendments about who is responsible for paying for a false alarm (previously, invoices for payment were provided to network providers who then passed the fee to the occupant for payment).  Under the changes (in sections 4(3)-(6) of the instrument), the network provider will become responsible for paying the charge.  No charge is payable if the false alarm:
(i)	could not have been prevented by reasonable maintenance of the alarm system: or
(ii)	was activated by a circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the owner, as defined in the Emergencies Act 2004.

The purpose of this determination is to give better access to users.  

The fees for the 2013-14 Financial Year were originally set by an omnibus instrument (DI 2012-110).  That instrument has been replaced, in part, by this instrument to provide users with better access to fee information within the structure of the Legislation Register.  Item numbers, included in the schedule, column 2, enable the comparison of past fees set under the Act with those set by this instrument.

The instrument contains further explanatory notes about the fee for various items in the past Financial Year.