аЯрЁБс>ўџ LNўџџџMџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС5@ №П0О*bjbjЯ2Я2 .:­X­XО"џџџџџџˆМММММММаИ И И И д аnњќ ќ ќ ќ ќ з з з эяяяяяя$hRКvМgз з ggММќ ќ л([[[gRМќ Мќ э[gэ[ [{V@ММЁќ № 6”ы_ИХИ Й:A э>0nMT0 ѓR0 ЁааММММ0 МЁLз иЏ š[I|ХЂз з з ааЄt DEааt Dr Sev Ozdowski, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Sydney NSW 2000 Tuesday, 13th September 2005 Dear Dr Ozdowski Application by ARA for temporary exemption from the DDA I am writing on behalf of the Disability Council of NSW is response to the application by the Australasian Rail Association for a temporary exemption from the DDA, with particular reference to the Disability Standards on accessible transport. Our Council does not support the application. In our capacity as the official advisory body to the NSW Government on disability matters it is our advice to the Commission that the application should be declined. The Disability Council of NSW The Disability Council of NSW is the official advisory body to the NSW Government on matters of disability policy and the effects of all Government policy (State and Commonwealth) on people with disability living in New South Wales. The Council is an autonomous, independent entity established by an Act of the NSW Parliament (The Community Welfare Act of 1987). Members of the Council (currently 16 in number) are appointed by the State’s Governor and have a duty to further the aims of the Act which created the Council, regardless of the political persuasion of the Government in office. The fundamental, statutory duties of the Council are: to give the best possible advice to the Government of the day, consistent with an obligation to act in the interests of people with disability in NSW at all times. The application for temporary exemption by the ARA I have read the lengthy and detailed submission from the ARA as well as the covering letter from the Deputy CEO of the Association, Mr Phil Sochon. We do not intend to comment on the details of the submission, although we do note (and would be broadly supportive of) the comments made by Mrs King, the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations and the Physical Disability Council of Australia. In addition to their detailed critiques of what are essentially proposals from the ARA to amend the Disability Standards (rather than seek exemption for a fixed period) we wish to question the basis of the Association’s request, which has the potential to fundamentally undermine the premise upon which the Standards were agreed and the review processes built into the Standards model. In Mr Sochon’s letter to HREOC the ARA indicates that it seeks an extension not so that it (or its members) would be better placed to meet the obligations of the DDA and associated Standards in the future. The basis of the application, according to the applicant, are “issues of impracticality” identified by an industry workshop in 2004. We understand the ARA to be telling HREOC it does not agree with and wishes to amend the DDC Disability Standards on accessible transport passed into Law by the Parliament of Australia on 23rd October 2002, almost three years ago. On the 21st August 2002, the Commonwealth Attorney General (at the time), The Hon Darryl Williams AM QC MP, and the Minister for Roads and Transport (at the time), The Hon John Anderson MP, announced that the draft Standards (as they were) been tabled in Parliament. In their joint statement the Ministers stated: “For the first time, the Transport Standards set out formal requirements for accessibility to public transport in Australia. These include access paths, manoeuvring areas, ramps and boarding devices, allocated spaces, handrails, doorways, controls, symbols and signs, the payment of fares and the provision of information. Providers and operators of public transport, infrastructure and premises must meet these requirements for all new items coming into service and will have a staggered compliance timeframe for upgrading equipment. Mr Williams and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services John Anderson today congratulated the disability sector, transport industry and all levels of Government for their sustained commitment to the goal of public transport accessibility. "These standards are an excellent example of disability, government and industry groups working together to eliminate discrimination," the Ministers said. "They will help to promote greater independence and a correspondingly better quality of life for people who have previously found it difficult to use public transport." On the 15th March 1999, more than six years ago, HREOC announced its decision on the application for a temporary exemption with regard to Melbourne trams. In its decision the Commission stated: “The draft DDA Standards for Accessible Public Transport were developed after an extensive period of consultation with the community, industry and governments. The draft remains under consideration and the draft Standards are not yet law. Standards are made by the Minister (the federal Attorney-General) not by the Commission. The Commission supports the Standards and urges their speedy adoption.” The Commission also observed: “Exemptions are temporary and are intended to assist people or organisations to reduce exposure to complaints while they remove discriminatory barriers.” We draw attention to these statements for good reason. The Commission has already formed the view that the draft Standards were the product of “an extensive period of consultation with the community, industry and governments”. We note too the unequivocal statement in 1999 that HREOC “supports the Standards”. We note that the Government Ministers praised the Standards introduced to (and approved by) the Parliament of Australia as “an excellent example of disability, government and industry groups working together to eliminate discrimination”. It is simply not credible for any industry association to argue today that its needs were ignored or its views not considered in the decade (and more) of development of the transport standards or during their shorter period of operation. At the time HREOC made a judgement in the Melbourne trams case, the draft Standards, were already being used as a point of reference for decision-making and by the time of their adoption by Parliament they represented the consensus of the stakeholders cited both by HREOC and the Government of Australia. The ARA does not seek, through its application, a temporary respite from the “certainty” enshrined in the transport standards as approved by Parliament. The ARA seeks exemption from the current requirements forever because it hopes that the current requirements will be amended (through review) in two years time in the ways the ARA propose in its text supporting its application for exemption. HREOC should not accept the ARA application as a sound basis for granting an exemption. Review processes are enshrined in the operations of the DDA and its Standards. Those processes are separate from and must not be confused with temporary exemption processes. Each, we accept, is valid but they are not synonyms. In our view, the ARA should contribute to the review processes of the DDA Disability Standards in the same way as we hope all stakeholders will contribute when the reviews commence in 2007. No exemption is required before that time (if at all) for these reasons: In its text, the ARA makes it clear that its workshop and (we assume) the association’s member organisations have formulated (and I quote) “alternative practical solutions”. It must surely be the case, therefore, that some protection from complaint would be afforded to ARA members under Clause 45 of the DDA “Special Measures”. Given that is so, there cannot be a sound basis for seeking or granting a temporary exemption. The ARA also asserts a need for practical solutions where “current Standards cannot reasonably be met”. If it is true that the current requirement cannot reasonably be met, the ARA and its members would be protected from complaint under Clause 11 of the DDA “Unjustifiable Hardship”, avoiding any need for a temporary exemption. In summary, therefore, it is the view of the Disability Council of NSW that the ARA application should be declined by the Commission. We see three major reasons. The ARA seeks to amend the Standard. It asks for a temporary exemption to protect it from complaint until such time as the Standard has been reviewed (presumably in accordance with ARA proposals). There is no guarantee that the ARA proposals will be endorsed by review processes commencing in 2007 and no proof that their proposals are necessarily better than the current Standard. Temporary exemptions were never intended to be used as holding bays, pending review. The ARA has protection under Clause 45 and therefore needs no temporary exemption. The ARA has protection under Clause 11 and therefore needs no temporary exemption. 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