New tools & accountabilities

Page contents: Overview | Multilevel regulation | Consistent regulation across the state | Knowledge for innovation | Greater focus on poor performers

Overview

Multilevel regulation

The strengths of our current multilevel regulatory system will be retained, with responsibility for food safety shared between national, state and local governments. However, the changes to the Act clearly articulate the roles of the department and local government and enable greater cooperation between these regulators.

Consistent regulation across the state

The department will provide guidance to councils to achieve consistent application of the Act, as far as feasible and desirable. Wherever food businesses operate across the state, they can expect a similar approach to food regulation by councils.

Knowledge for innovation

New council reporting and food sampling requirements will shed light on system problems so that food safety regulation and program improvements can be based on good evidence. Drawing on this information, the department will publish an annual report on food regulation across the state.

This is intended to contribute to greater knowledge about the safe handling of food, including major problem areas, to inform future policy and be integrated into education programs. Better information will also mean the department and councils will be able to focus enforcement efforts on areas where improvements are most needed.

Greater focus on poor performers

The amendments to the Act are intended to help free up council time and resources. The changes recognise that it is appropriate for councils to focus more of their efforts on businesses which pose a greater risk to public health because they have failed to comply with the Act.

Priority will remain on assisting proprietors to handle food safely. However, to ensure rapid action on common problems, on the spot fines for certain food safety or hygiene offences14 October, 2009able to temporarily close premises, or stop particular food handling activities, where this is appropriate, to ensure that the business fixes problems before it continues to sell food to the public. The Chief Health Officer will be available to advise councils where needed.

Councils will be able, if they wish, to charge ‘poor performers’ additional fees for follow up inspections where there has been repeated non-compliance. This is to recover the greater costs that councils incur in repeatedly attending such businesses. Fees will not be able to be charged for the standard mandatory “statutory” assessments or inspections.

With these new enforcement options, there will be less need to resort to costly, time consuming prosecutions, especially over less serious hygiene or food safety problems.

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