Launch of Professional Standards Council in WA

29/4/99
Attorney General Peter Foss today launched the Professional Standards Council in Western Australia coinciding with the council's first meeting in WA.
The council was created by the Professional Standards Act 1997(WA) and is comparable with legislation already operating in New South Wales.
"To minimise the costs to occupational associations, the Western Australian and New South Wales Governments have appointed the same persons to a joint council," Mr Foss said.
"The arrangement is also intended to encourage other jurisdictions to enact similar legislation and join a national group to assist occupational associations."
The Professional Standards Act addresses the growing number of insurance problems faced by the members of professional and occupational groups.
"The liability of members of occupational bodies to negligence claims and the cost of premiums has increased dramatically in the past 25 years," Mr Foss said.
"This has resulted in members of many professional groups either being underinsured, or not insured at all.
"It is clearly no consolation to an aggrieved client to be awarded substantial damages against such members whom they have no real prospect of recovering from.
"What this Act does is put in place provisions designed to facilitate improvements in the standards of services provided by professionals and to protect consumers."
At the launch the Attorney General introduced the chairperson of the council, Mr Warwick Wilson, and other members of the council. The WA-based members are Mr Steven Cole and Mr Hugh Plaistowe.
Media contact: Chris Morris 9321 2222