Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank all the members who've contributed to this debate on the Customs Amendment (Expedited Seizure and Disposal of Engineered Stone) Bill. It is an important reform.

Silicosis is an insidious disease, and people who contract it, unfortunately, can have their lung capacity reduced over time and die a very long, slow death. We know that engineered-stone products, when handled in the wrong way, can result in the people working with them contracting silicosis and other diseases. That's why the government has taken this action to strengthen the legislative framework for engineered stone—in order to protect workers from the health risks associated with it. We're determined to put in place mechanisms to prevent workers from being exposed to respirable crystalline silica, which, when inhaled, can cause fatal lung disease and other chronic illnesses, like silicosis.

A key element of achieving this is inclusion of engineered stone as a prohibited import under customs' regulations, and the prohibited imports regulations came into effect on 1 January 2025. The measures in this bill will support the import prohibition, providing for the expedited seizure and disposal of engineered-stone products seized at the border and enhancing the operational effectiveness of the import prohibition. The management of seized engineered-stone products at the border presents significant logistical challenges for Border Force, particularly in terms of storage and transport of this bulk good, so the measures in this bill are essential to provide a mechanism to allow Australian Border Force officials to effectively administer seized engineered-stone products at the border. With the passage of this bill, I'm pleased to say that Australian workers and their families will be a step closer to being protected from significant harms caused by working with engineered stone. I commend the bill.

Debate adjourned.

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