{"id":"nsw:sl-2022-0488","name":"Drug and Alcohol Treatment Regulation 2022","slug":"drug-and-alcohol-treatment-regulation-2022","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"nsw","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"488 of 2022","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":176100,"registerId":"nsw-nsw:sl-2022-0488-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name of Regulation","content":"#### 1 Name of Regulation\n\n1 Name of Regulation\n\n> This Regulation is the [Drug and Alcohol Treatment Regulation 2022](/view/html/inforce/current/sl-2022-0488).","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"#### 2 Commencement\n\n2 Commencement\n\n> This Regulation commences on the day on which it is published on the NSW legislation website.\n> \n> Note—\n> \n> This Regulation repeals and replaces the [Drug and Alcohol Treatment Regulation 2017](/view/html/repealed/current/sl-2017-0062), which would otherwise be repealed on 1 September 2022 by the [Subordinate Legislation Act 1989](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1989-146), section 10(2).","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definition","content":"#### 3 Definition\n\n3 Definition\n\n> In this Regulation—\n> \n> Northern Beaches Hospital means the NBH Operator Co Pty Ltd in its capacity as trustee of the NBH Operating Trust.\n> \n> the Act means the [Drug and Alcohol Treatment Act 2007](/view/html/inforce/current/act-2007-007).\n> \n> Note—\n> \n> The Act and the [Interpretation Act 1987](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1987-015) contain definitions and other provisions that affect the interpretation and application of this Regulation.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Regular inspections of treatment centres","content":"#### 4 Regular inspections of treatment centres\n\n4 Regular inspections of treatment centres\n\n> For the Act, section 29(7), the principal official visitor must ensure that the official visitors visit each treatment centre under the Act, section 29(1) at least once each calendar month.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Prescribed transport officers","content":"#### 5 Prescribed transport officers\n\n5 Prescribed transport officers\n\n> For the Act, section 20(5), definition of transport officer, paragraph (c), the following classes of persons are prescribed—\n> \n> > (a) members of staff of St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Limited,\n> \n> > (b) members of staff of Northern Beaches Hospital,\n> \n> > (c) persons employed or otherwise engaged by an entity that provides transport services for St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Limited under a contract for services with St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney Limited,\n> \n> > (d) persons employed or otherwise engaged by an entity that provides transport services for Northern Beaches Hospital under a contract for services with Northern Beaches Hospital.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Repeal and savings","content":"#### 6 Repeal and savings\n\n6 Repeal and savings\n\n> > (1) The [Drug and Alcohol Treatment Regulation 2017](/view/html/repealed/current/sl-2017-0062) is repealed.\n> \n> > (2) An act, matter or thing that, immediately before the repeal of the [Drug and Alcohol Treatment Regulation 2017](/view/html/repealed/current/sl-2017-0062), had effect under that Regulation continues to have effect under this Regulation.","sortOrder":5}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a straightforward remake of the 2017 regulation with no expansion of scope. It maintains the same limited operational matters: inspection frequency and prescribed transport officers. The only substantive change appears to be adding Northern Beaches Hospital to the transport officer provisions (the 2017 version likely only covered St Vincent's), but this is a minor operational update rather than a scope expansion."},"complexity_factors":["Only 6 sections total, with minimal text","Just 2 defined terms in the interpretation section (Northern Beaches Hospital, the Act)","No nested exceptions or conditional logic","Straightforward cross-references to the parent Act (Drug and Alcohol Treatment Act 2007) for context","Simple repeal and savings provision with standard continuity language"],"plain_english_summary":"This regulation sets out operational rules for drug and alcohol treatment centres in New South Wales. It does three main things:\n\n**1. Inspection requirements**\n- Requires that every treatment centre gets visited by official inspectors at least once a month. These inspectors check that centres are running properly and treating people appropriately.\n\n**2. Who can transport patients**\n- Expands the list of people allowed to transport patients to and from treatment centres. Besides ambulance officers and police, this now includes:\n  - Staff from St Vincent's Hospital Sydney\n  - Staff from Northern Beaches Hospital\n  - Private transport contractors working for either of those hospitals\n\n**3. Transition from old rules**\n- Replaces the 2017 version of these rules, but anything that was legally valid under the old rules stays valid under the new ones.\n\n**Why it matters:** This regulation affects vulnerable people receiving compulsory drug and alcohol treatment. The monthly inspection requirement is a safeguard against neglect or abuse. The transport provisions matter because patients can be detained and moved against their will, so it's important to know exactly who has legal authority to move them."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Regulation repeals and replaces the 2017 Regulation but s 6(2) preserves existing effects, so there is no apparent expansion of legal scope in the text supplied. It consolidates operational rules (inspection frequency, prescribed transport-officer classes, and a definition of Northern Beaches Hospital) while maintaining continuity with prior arrangements."},"complexity_factors":["Short, narrowly focused instrument with few clauses — low structural complexity (ss 1–6)","Relies on external definitions and powers in the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Act 2007 and the Interpretation Act 1987, increasing interpretive dependence on other statutes (s 3 note)","Imposes a clear operational duty on the principal official visitor to ensure monthly inspections, requiring administrative scheduling and record-keeping (s 4)","Prescribes categories of persons who qualify as transport officers, which affects employers, contractors and their staff and may require contract or rostering adjustments (s 5)","Repeal and savings clause preserves prior legal effects, so implementers must map existing arrangements to the new Regulation (s 6)","Commencement on publication creates immediate effect once published, limiting lead time for compliance (s 2)"],"plain_english_summary":"This Regulation updates rules for drug and alcohol treatment in NSW. It sets that official visitors must inspect each treatment centre at least monthly, specifies which hospital staff and contracted transport providers qualify as \"transport officers\", defines Northern Beaches Hospital for the Act, and repeals the 2017 Regulation while preserving its existing effects. It matters to treatment centres, hospital employers, contracted transport providers and the principal official visitor because it fixes inspection frequency and who may be used to move clients."},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available metadata, there is no evidence that the scope of this regulation has changed from its original intent. It has had only one version since commencement (26 August 2022) with no recorded amendments, suggesting it operates as originally made. A full scope assessment is not possible without the substantive provisions of the regulation."},"complexity_factors":["Only administrative/status metadata was provided — the substantive provisions of the regulation were not included, preventing full complexity assessment","Regulations are inherently subordinate to a parent Act (Drug and Alcohol Treatment Act 2007), meaning the full legal picture requires reading both documents together","Drug and alcohol treatment law can involve complex clinical, ethical, and human rights considerations (e.g. involuntary treatment), though this cannot be confirmed from the text provided","Staged repeal mechanism adds a temporal dimension to the law's operation that practitioners must track","NSW-specific regulatory framework may differ from other states, adding complexity for those operating across jurisdictions"],"plain_english_summary":"The Drug and Alcohol Treatment Regulation 2022 (NSW) sets out the detailed operational and administrative rules that sit under the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Act 2007, governing how drug and alcohol treatment is delivered and managed in NSW. It affects people receiving treatment, clinicians, approved facilities, service providers and NSW Health administrators.\n\nThis regulation commenced on 26 August 2022, has not been amended, and is scheduled to be repealed on 1 September 2027 under the standard sunset provision."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-regulation-2022","history":"/api/acts/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-regulation-2022/history","analysis":"/api/acts/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-regulation-2022/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-regulation-2022/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-regulation-2022/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/drug-and-alcohol-treatment-regulation-2022/documents"}}