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the previous amendment would be well and truly commenced before the second amendment came into force. However, because of unavoidable administrative delays, the reverse was the situation by a week or so. The result was that the amendment now proposed which was previously contained in the 1982 amendment was a nullity because the principal act being amended was not in the form anticipated. Mr Speaker, rather than bore the Assembly with further details of changes proposed in the bill, I would invite honourable members who seek an explanation about a particular amendment in the bill to contact the Parliamentary Counsel who will be happy to provide necessary details. I commend the bill to honourable members. Debate adjourned. LOCAL GOVERNMENT AMENDMENT BILL (Serial 306) Bill presented and read a first time. Mr TUXWORTH (Community Development): now read a second time. Mr Speaker, I move that the bill be This bill effects amendments principally to the financial administration and management provisions of the Local Government Act and is designed to raise the standard of accounting and financial management in local governments to a level consistent with that currently expected of public enterprises. The amendments contained in this bill follow on the report of the Local Government Accounting Review Committee released in February of this year. The committee, which comprised representatives of the Northern Territory Local Government Association, the Auditor-General, Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Local Government Division of the Department of Community Development, made a wide-ranging inquiry into all aspects of local government accounting and financial management. The principal recommendations contained in the committee's final report may be summarised as follows: firstly, local government accounts should be maintained on the commercially-accepted double entry accrual basis in accordance with recognised accounting principles and practices set down in the statement of accounting standards issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and the Australian Society of Accountants; secondly, the form of local government accounting reports must be such as will serve the needs of both the internal users, being the elected members and officers of the councils, and the external users, being the ratepayers, electors, creditors and the Australian Bureau of Statistics and other levels of government; and, thirdly, the legislation relating to the keeping of local government accounts must be sufficiently flexible to accommodate any further devolutions of functions and responsibilities. Mr Speaker, this bill and the accompanying Local Government Accounting 968 DEBATES - Wednesday 31 August 1983 Regulations, which will now contain all of the fine detail relating to the keeping of local government accounts in the form of their financial reporting, copies of which I have distributed to honourable members, embody these recommendations. The emphasis on local government accounting in the future will be on the concept of management accounting for this concern for the present and future planning so essential for effective and efficient use to be made of the public resources entrusted to local government. This bill and the accompanying regulations will ensure that the standards of local government accounting and financial administration in the Territory will be at least equal to, if not better than, those in the states. There has been wide consultation with the local government industry and affected departments. I am pleased to report that there has been unanimous acceptance by them of the need for change and the recommendations of the Local Government Accounting Review Committee. I commend the bill to honourable members. Debate adjourned. POLICE ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT BILL (Serial 345) Bill presented and read a first time. Mr EVERINGHAM (Chief Minister): read a second time. Mr Speaker, I move that the bill be now Since the Police Administration Act commenced in August 1979, a number of problems have been experienced in administering a number of provisions in the act. These are as a result of errors and omissions made in the initial drafting, the failure to provide consequential amendments when the act was amended by act No 74 of 1979 and frustration in applying inadequate provisions for effective administration. The general purpose of the bill is, therefore, to correct errors, develop a certain number of existing provisions and add new provisions to attain desired efficiency. Existing deficiencies affect the commissioner, members of the force and members of the police promotion board and police appeal board. The main provisions sought in the bill relate to the following matters. The commissioner, when considering a member for promotion, needs to consider the skill and efficiency of that member to discharge the duties of the position within the rank to which promotion is sou~ht in lieu of the existing criteria which are restricted to examination and experience. It allows members to appeal against the commissioner's decision to appoint a person from outside the force to a prescribed position within the force and, therefore, removes the existing provisions which restrict an appeal until after such appointment is being made. It allows the commissioner to determine that a member so appointed, who has special skills and qualifications, be paid a special allowance in order that the appointee's salary range is commensurate with that of persons similarly positioned in outside employment. It allows the commissioner amongst other things to take certain actions in relation to members when they are medically unfit. The bill provides that members of other police forces appointed as special constables in the Northern Territory Police Force are deemed to be also members of the Northern Territory Police Force and, as such, are afforded the same protection under local legislation in the course of their duties as officers of the Northern Territory police. It allows the chairman in the absence of other members of the police promotions appeal board to fix the date, time and place to 969 DEBATES - Wednesday 31 August 1983 which a hearing has to be adjourned without the necessity, as there is at the present time, of the other members being present. It is especially hard to do that if the reason for the other members not being present is the reason for the adjournment. It provides for members to appeal against the commissioner's decision or action under particular sections of the principal act and provides that the commissioner shall be a party to a proceeding before the police promotions appeal board in respect of an appeal under that part against promotions. It provides that a question arising in an appeal under that part shall be determined in accordance with the opinion of the majority of the board except where a particular question is one of law which shall then be determined

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