This Act, consisting of 495 sections divided into four Parts and completed by two Schedules, aims to protect and promote the health of the Queensland public. The object is to be mainly achieved by: (a) preventing, controlling and reducing risks to public health; (b) providing for the identification of, and response to, notifiable conditions; (c) imposing obligations on persons and particular health care facilities involved in the provision of declared health services to minimise infection risks; (d) providing for persons who have a major disturbance in mental capacity to be transported to a treatment or care place; (e) protecting children who have been harmed or are at risk of harm when the children present at health service facilities; (f) restricting the performance of cosmetic procedures on children; (g) collecting and managing particular health information, and establishing mechanisms for health information held by a health agency to be accessed for appropriate research; (h) inquiring into serious public health matters; (i) responding to public health emergencies; and (j) providing for compliance with this Act to be monitored and enforced. The Act requires all parties responsible for managing and supplying water to ensure it does not pose a threat to public health. It provides for: orders relating to water quality; for the monitoring of water quality; for the registration of users or suppliers of private water; etc. The Act provides for the appointment of a Director of Public Health and of health officers and for their functions and powers. The Director, among other things, has the power to declare that a public health emergency exists; to conduct public health inquiries and investigations; and to declare a disease to be a notifiable disease and take action to stop, limit or prevent the spread of the disease. The Act further provides for: the establishment of the Public Health Advisory Committee; matters related to tobacco products; requirements and procedures for obtaining licences to operate place of assembly; declaration of unhealthy premises and restrictions; registration of premises used for public health risk activities and licences to carry out these activities; offences; etc.
أستراليا · 2005-11-02