A number of Ministers and agencies have identified the need to consider legislative amendments to facilitate staging of the Games and have drawn these to the attention of the Minister for the Olympics and the Olympic Co-ordination Authority.

In order to assess the need for legislative change to deliver any appropriate Games-related legislative amendments in a planned and co-ordinated way, the following arrangements are to apply:

1. Olympic Co-ordination Authority (OCA) will be responsible to collate suggestions for legislative change and analyse and co-ordinate them. A general principle will be to minimise the amount of legislative change;
2. OCA will also take overriding responsibility for ensuring the involvement of all agencies in the process (whether proposing changes or impacted by proposed changes) including, as appropriate, the joint preparation of necessary legislative and regulatory proposals;
3. OCA will convene a working group to assist it in the above tasks and to review outstanding proposals;
4. the working group will be required to ensure that legislative change is considered only in circumstances where it is appropriate and necessary to facilitate staging of the Games. It is anticipated that any legislative amendments will operate for the Games period only;
5. the working group will comprise the OCA, The Cabinet Office, Office of Parliamentary Counsel, Crown Solicitor's Office, SOCOG and the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority, with the ability to co-opt other agency representatives and local government as required;
6. OCA will keep a database of proposed amendments and any alternative measures considered to be necessary;
7. all proposed legislative amendments will be made through the Minister administering the relevant legislation, who must be satisfied that any amendments proposed are appropriate and necessary.

Would you please ensure that these arrangements are brought to the attention of all departments and other authorities within your portfolio, including Government Trading Enterprises and State Owned Corporations. OCA will shortly write to all agencies involved in preparations for the Games about this process. Any agency not contacted in this way which considers that a Games-related legislative issue needs to be brought to attention should contact OCA.

Bob Carr MP
Premier
26 October 1998