Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The report of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties titled Report 75: Treaties tabled on 11 October 2005 (2), 28 February and 28 March 2006 (2) contains the review of seven treaty actions. The Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection would require the marking of all plastic explosives to make them more easily identifiable and detectable, with the purpose of restricting their unlawful use. The committee received evidence that the process of detecting marked plastic explosives is not precise and that over time the detection agent, DMNB, added to plastic explosives at the manufacturing stage may become less detectable. This would mean that, in the case of marked plastic explosives, the plastic explosives could therefore remain viable longer than the detection agent.

The committee initially held reservations about how DMNB would be detected at ports of entry and was informed that there is specific detection equipment in place to detect plastic explosive but that, once plastic explosives were detected, in line with international practice the explosives would be sent to a laboratory for testing in order to determine whether DMNB was present. Research is currently underway in this area. The Australian Customs Service is investigating a machine that can detect DMNB at first point of entry. The Defence Science and Technology Organisation is researching the marking of plastic explosives with a view to improving technology in this area. The committee heard that this research will be ongoing once DMNB is incorporated into the manufacture of plastic explosives. Given the events of last week, that becomes a pretty significant point in the history of our world.

The Exchange of Notes constituting a Treaty between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Singapore to amend the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement makes three amendments to the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement, with the effect of enhancing trade between Australia and Singapore.

The Protocol of 2003 to the International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage creates a supplementary fund to provide additional compensation for victims of oil tanker oil spills. Additionally, the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage creates a liability and compensation framework for pollution from bunker oil spills. Bunker oil includes any hydrocarbon, mineral oil and lubricating oil used or intended to be used for the operation or propulsion of a ship.

As the Pacific region’s foremost political and economic policy organisation, the Agreement Establishing the Pacific Islands Forum provides important developments on the previous agreement and gives the organisation an international legal standing.

The amendments to the Basel convention clarify which wastes are included under the convention. Annex VIII wastes are considered hazardous and, with the amendments, now include waste cables coated or insulated with plastics containing or contaminated with coal tar, PCB, lead, cadmium and other organohalogen compounds.

Annex IX wastes are not to be considered hazardous and include waste metal cables coated or insulated with plastics not included in list A1190 under annex VIII, excluding those destined for annex IVA operations or any other disposal operations involving, at any stage, uncontrolled thermal processes, such as open burning.

The Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand in relation to Mutual Recognition of Securities Offerings provides a scheme to offer securities, including shares and debentures and managed investment interests in both Australia and New Zealand, in the same manner and with the same offer documents. The agreement will remove regulatory barriers for business and allow for increased investment with New Zealand resulting in an increased choice for investors from both countries.

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