COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020.

The main purposes of this Act are (a)to protect the health, safety and welfare of persons affected by the COVID-19 emergency; and (b) to facilitate the continuance of public administration, judicial process, small business and other activities disrupted by the COVID-19 emergency, including by easing regulatory requirements and establishing an office of small business commissioner; and (c) to provide for matters related to residential, retail and prescribed leases affected by the COVID-19 emergency; and (d)to support the Queensland rental sector during the COVID-19 emergency period.
The Act is organised in 10 Parts: Part 1 Introduction outlines purpose and establishes that this Act applies despite any other Act or law other than the Human Rights Act 2019; Part 2 sets the basis and confers powers to make extraordinary regulations and statutory instruments that are then outlined in the following Parts; Part 3 concerns physical contact between persons and allows extraordinary regulation-making power relating to attendance at places or meetings and for particular matters relating to documents, Part 4 concerns modification of statutory time limits; Part 5 on proceedings allows regulation-making power, and power of court, to modify statutory time limit relating to proceeding and for particular matters relating to proceedings; Part 6 establishes the role of the small business commissioner to provide information and advisory services to the public about matters relevant to small businesses, to assist small businesses in reaching an informal resolution for disputes relating to small business leases; and to administer a mediation process prescribed by regulation under section 23(1)(g) in relation to small business tenancy disputes, Part 7 allows extraordinary regulation-making power for retail leases and other prescribed leases for responding to the COVID-19 emergency and Part 8 concerns extraordinary regulation-making power for residential tenancies and rooming accommodation.