Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

When Labor came to government, we promised to protect more of what's precious, restore more of what's damaged and manage nature better for our children and our grandchildren. Today the House has the chance to pass two more crucial environmental reforms. Firstly, this legislation establishes a new nature repair market in Australia, the first of its kind in the world. It is legislation that will encourage good environmental work, making it easier for businesses, philanthropists and other groups to invest in projects that protect and restore nature. Crucially, it will guard against the threat of greenwashing. This is not to replace government effort but to reinforce it. This means landholders, farmers and First Nations groups will be paid to improve nature on their properties. It will guarantee that the money invested does what it intends to do: restore habitats, improve our soil, eradicate feral species, protect our beaches and make our land more resilient to droughts and floods. The market will be strictly monitored by the Clean Energy Regulator to ensure full transparency and integrity in the system. This is part of Labor's mission to build a nature-positive Australia. We need effective national laws, we need active government investment and, wherever possible, we need the support of private money and philanthropists.

Secondly, the Nature Repair Market (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2023, with its amendments, will update the water trigger in our national environmental laws so that new unconventional gas projects will be assessed for their impact on water resources. Labor promised this change before the election and today we are delivering it. It's a commonsense reform providing businesses with certainty and the community with confidence that water resources are properly regulated and protected.

I want to take a moment to thank the member for Lingiari. The member for Lingiari has fought passionately for this change for her community since not just her election to this place but long before. I'd also like to acknowledge the member for Mackellar. The member for Mackellar introduced a private member's bill on this subject earlier this year. Three expert reports over five years have recommended making this change. The water trigger already applies to coal seam gas, but now it will include types of unconventional gas such as shale gas and tight gas. Most new projects will be unaffected by the change as coal seam gas production is already covered by the existing water trigger and the changes do not apply to conventional gas production. Existing gas projects that are in production and have already been approved are also unaffected by this update. Projects regulated by NOPSEMA, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, are also unaffected by this update. This will provide certainty for business and ensure continuity of gas supply.

Last week we passed our bill to rescue the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, and today we are, I hope, passing two more important pieces of environmental protection. I encourage all members of this House to support the bill and deliver more environmental protection in nine days than the previous government did in nine years.

See this speech in context