Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move amendments (3) to (7), on the sheet revised on 19 June 2023, as circulated in my name, together:

(3) Clause 172, page 192 (line 21), omit "publish on the Regulator's website", substitute "prepare".

(4) Clause 172, page 192 (after line 24), at the end of the clause, add:

(3) The Regulator must:

(a) give the report to the Minister; and

(b) publish the report on the Regulator's website;

as soon as practicable after the report is prepared.

(4) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the report is given to the Minister.

(5) Clause 175, page 194 (line 17), before "The Secretary", insert "(1)".

(6) Clause 175, page 194 (line 17), omit "publish on the Department's website", substitute "prepare".

(7) Clause 175, page 195 (after line 14), at the end of the clause, add:

(2) The Secretary must give a report prepared under subsection (1) to the Minister as soon as practicable after the report is prepared.

(3) The Minister must cause a copy of a report received under subsection (2) to be:

(a) tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the report is given to the Minister; and

(b) published on the Department's website as soon as practicable after the report is given to the Minister.

My third amendment relates to the activity reports of the regulator and the purchase reports of the department. A dominant theme in the 30,000 or more contributions received by the Samuel review was that many in the community simply do not trust the EPBC Act to deliver for the environment and that institutional reform should promote, firstly, transparency, accountability and integrity in the administration of the act; and secondly, monitoring, evaluation and improvement in the delivery of the environmental outcomes.

I'll be moving amendments to ensure the Clean Energy Regulator activities reports and the secretary's reports on biodiversity certificates will not only be published on relevant websites but also tabled in parliament within 15 sitting days after the end of the financial year. Increasing public access to information about this untested scheme will ensure it runs smoothly and effectively. Importantly, tabling reports on the operation of regulatory schemes like the national repair market promotes transparency and accountability. As the Scrutiny of Bills Committee outlines, there should be appropriate justification for not requiring the documents to be tabled.

I am pleased to hear that the government will be accepting these amendments, and I commend them to the House.

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