For Many Years the Institution has been asking state and territory governments to replace the joint and several liability system with proportionate liability. This is particularly important given the current insurance crisis. At a meeting late last year, some state and territory ministers indicated strong agreement to the implementation of proportionate liability for economic loss. NSW introduced proportionate liability in late 2002, and other states such as WA and SA are consulting the community on the issue. However, there are some jurisdictions that seem reluctant to introduce proportionate liability, or as in the case of Queensland, are considering introducing it with a threshold limit of $500,000. This would effectively negate any benefit for many engineers and other professionals.
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