Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, I present the committee's report entitled Inquiry into the 2009 and 2013 amendments to the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 (London Protocol) together with the minutes of proceedings.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—On behalf of the committee, I present the report of House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water's inquiry into the 2009 and 2013 amendments to the London protocol. The inquiry was referred to the committee by the Minister for the Environment and Water—who I see is at the table; very opportune—in November 2022, and adopted by this committee on 23 January 2023.

The London protocol is the intended successor instrument to the International Maritime Organization's London Convention—one of the first international conventions designed to protect the marine environment from human activities by prohibiting the dumping of certain hazardous materials subject to the issue of a permit from a relevant authority.

The 2009 amendment to the London protocol permits the export of carbon dioxide streams from one contracting party under the London protocol to another using carbon capture and storage technology for the purposes of sub-seabed sequestration into geological formations. The 2013 amendment proposes to address ongoing work into marine geoengineering activities, such as ocean fertilisation.

The London protocol has previously been considered by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties in 1998 and in 2007. In 2020, the Treaties Committee considered the two amendments subject to this committee's inquiry, deeming both as 'minor treaty' actions, and agreed that binding treaty action may be taken.

In undertaking its inquiry, the committee received 22 submissions and held one public hearing. Evidence to the committee was broadly supportive of both amendments, while the committee was told that the Australian government is considering ratification of the 2009 amendment. Can I say that some of the submissions we received, I believe, were excellent—from real professionals who understand what they are doing and who provided some really invaluable insight into the processes required and why it is necessary for these amendments to be ratified.

In conclusion, I thank the organisations and individuals that made submissions to the committee's inquiry or appeared at the public hearing. I also thank the members of the committee and the secretariat, in particular, who provided invaluable support in their work on this inquiry.

I commend the report to the House.

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