BACKGROUND
The Law and Justice Committee has an ongoing role to review the exercise of the functions of the Motor Accidents Authority (MAA) and the Motor Accidents Council (MAC). The MAA is the statutory corporation that regulates the NSW Motor Accidents Scheme. It was established under the Motor Accidents Act 1988 on 10 March 1989 and continues to be constituted under the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999.
Section 210 of the latter Act provides that a committee of the Legislative Council is to be charged with the responsibility of supervising the exercise of the functions of the MAA and the MAC. The Legislative Council first appointed the Standing Committee on Law and Justice to undertake this role in November 1999 and has reappointed the Committee in subsequent Parliaments.
Over the years the Committee has examined a range of issues, including the efficiency of the Scheme, the performance of the Motor Accidents Assessment Service and the Claims Assessment Resolution Service, insurer profitability, trends in motor accident compensation claims, the road safety initiatives of the MAA and the cost of CTP motor accident insurance.
This Ninth Review focused on CARS.
PAST REVIEWS
For more information on the Committee's previous reviews of the exercise and functions of the MAA and MAC, return to the Committee's home page and click on the relevant link under the heading 'Reports'.
FUTURE REVIEWS
In its Ninth Report the Law and Justice Committee concluded that the Motor Accidents Compensation Scheme has reached a level of maturation where an annual review of the MAA and MAC is no longer necessary.
Accordingly, the Committee recommended that the Legislative Council amend the resolution designating the Committee with responsibility for supervising the MAA and MAC, so that we be required to report to the House in relation to the exercise of our functions under that resolution at least once every two years. On 23 October 2008 the Legislative Council resolved this way.
The Committee anticipates that its Tenth Review will commence in early 2010.Legislative Council Committee Report Debate, 23 September 2008
Legislative Council Committee Report Debate, 4 March 2009
