SIMON Corbell says women accessing legal medical treatment such as abortions and other health services at the ACT Health facility at 1 Moore Street in Civic will have their privacy better protected with a protest-free zone in place from tomorrow.

“The protest-free zone is a first of its kind for the ACT, and has been established under the Health (Patient Privacy) Amendment Act 2015, which passed in the ACT Legislative Assembly late last year,” Simon said.

“This new protest-free zone is about ensuring that women, who have made what is already a difficult decision to have an abortion, can access the medical services they require without being forced to endure the judgement of others.

“People requiring legal medical treatment, no matter what it is, should be able to get that treatment in privacy and safety.

“The amendments made to the Health Act 1993 to enable the protest-free zone have been developed in consultation with key stakeholders, such as the ACT Human Rights Commission and ACT Policing, to ensure we strike the right balance between protecting a woman’s right to access safe and legal healthcare and the rights of protesters.

“From today, protesting or behaviour that increases emotional distress or may prevent women from accessing legal and medically recognised health procedures is prohibited within the defined protest-free zone between 7am and 6pm on business days to align with the opening hours of the facility.

“The protest-free zone around the health facility is defined by block and section numbers as well as the surrounding streets, providing a protected area that is no less than 50 metres from the building entrances.

“A regulation has also been developed as part the new legislation, allowing two new offences at s87 of the Health Act 1993 to be enforced and administered as part of the ACT’s criminal infringement notice scheme. The administering authority for an infringement notice will be the Chief Police Officer of the ACT.

“If an individual is found protesting within the protected area, ACT Health’s security personnel will notify them of the new Act, and ask them to leave the area. If the person chooses to remain in the protected area, ACT Policing will be notified and penalties may apply,” Mr Corbell said.

Information about the protest-free zone, including a map, is available on the ACT Health website at health.act.gov.au.

The Health (Patient Privacy) Amendment Act 2015 can be viewed at legislation.act.gov.au.