Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities and relates to four potential routes for a gas pipeline between Narrabri and Wellington by Eastern Star Gas. Given that all these options have caused angst and concern for those who live and work on the magnificent floodplains of the Liverpool Plains, is the minister aware that a fifth option exists, along the Newell Highway, which is supported by the community and has no detrimental environmental impact on the floodplain? Will the minister inspect all these sites prior to endorsing any options?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for New England for the question. There are a number of referrals that have come with this gas project around the Liverpool Plains. The reference that the member for New England has made to a fifth pathway for the pipeline is not among the referrals that have come to my department. At the moment there are four separate referrals before the department. Three of them are decisions due this week as to whether or not they get called in for full approval. If they get called in for full approval then, in all probability, that will end up coming directly to me rather than being dealt with by my delegate. When the decisions are dealt with, they will not be able to deal with the full range of issues which sometimes come up through public debate. They are environmental approvals and have to be made under the EPBC Act under national environmental law.

Some of the pathways for these pipelines proposed at the moment do have issues that relate to some national environmentally listed species. There are issues with respect to the swift parrot and some gum woodlands listed that would be relevant to some of the pathways. I would be surprised if those issues were relevant to a pathway along a highway that the member for New England has referred to but, as I say, that is not among the referrals that have come to me.

When the department makes a decision as to whether or not it needs to be dealt with under national environmental law, if it is decided that that is not required, then it will not be dealt with by me any further. If it is called in for full referral, then those decisions will be made in accordance with the law and there will be opportunities for public discussion and input during those processes.