The Western Australian Parliament Legislative Council has referred the matter of an inquiry into private property rights to its Public Administration Committee
The committee comprises:
Hon Adele Farina MLC (SW Region, ALP)
Hon Jacqui Boydell MLC (Mining & Pastoral Region, National Party))
Hon Darren West MLC (Agriculture Region, ALP)
Hon Kyle McGinn MLC (Mining & Pastoral Region ALP)
Hon Ken Baston MLC (Mining and Pastoral Region, Liberal Party)
The Terms of Reference for the Inquiry are:
That the House —
(a) recognises the fundamental proprietary right of private property ownership that underpins the social and economic security of the community;
(b) recognises the threat to the probity of the Torrens title system, which guarantees disclosure, and re-establishes the necessity for registration of all encumbrances that affect land including environmentally sensitive areas, bushfire-prone areas and implied easements for Western Power that currently sit behind the certificate of title;
(c) recognises the property rights of government-issued licenses and authorities including commercial fishing;
(d) asserts that fair and reasonable compensation must be paid to the owner of private property if the value of the property is diminished by a government encumbrance or resumption in order to derive a public benefit; and
(e) directs the Standing Committee on Public Administration to conduct an inquiry into the matters described above – with them as its terms of reference – and to report to the House within nine months of the date of the referral.
For a copy of WAFIC’s submission see:
For other submissions: