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

My question is to the Prime Minister. It relates to the government's intention to form a national partnership agreement with the states and create an independent scientific body to assess coal seam gas and large coal operations in priority areas. Prime Minister, given the agreement to have bioregional assessments done prior to extractive licences being granted, could you clarify the process envisaged for those companies in the transition period from exploration licence to extractive licence in those sensitive areas?

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for New England for his question and his preparedness to deal with issues like the minerals resource rent tax and putting a price on carbon based on the facts and expert advice—that is, to deal with the biggest issues that confront our nation at this time of change based on a sound public policy approach. The government is taking that sound public policy approach, and I thank the member for New England for taking a sound public policy approach. It is a refreshing change to what we so frequently see in this parliament from those opposite with their negativity.

To come to the member for New England's question, the government has announced—and the member for New England has been involved in this—that we are working to achieve a national partnership agreement where we will work with the states to strike a national partnership agreement and create an independent scientific body to assess coal seam gas and large coal operations, along with independent bioregional assessments. This is important because coal seam gas is part of the energy mix for our future. We will continue to be a nation that mines coal, so large coal operations will also be a part of our future. But there has clearly been concern from communities about the scientific backdrop—a lot of fear and alarm. I think it is important that everyone, including community members themselves, has the benefits of the best possible science.

As the federal government, we have shown through this government and governments in the past that it has traditionally been within the domain of the Commonwealth government to show scientific leadership for the nation with our great institutions like the CSIRO. We will be showing that scientific leadership through this new independent scientific body.

I was specifically asked about transition arrangements. Transition arrangements will be expedited through the establishment of this independent expert scientific committee. I have asked the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities to expedite establishing an interim independent expert scientific committee which will come into effect before the full arrangements can be put in place. That will follow consultation with the states on membership of the committee. This will ensure that approvals for extractive licences can be informed by the interim expert committee as soon as it is operational. Transitional arrangements for proposed projects will depend on what stage in its development a project is in.

The EPBC Act already requires rigorous consideration of the science underpinning decision making, and this will continue. It is not expected that this will unduly delay projects. However, some approval processes will need to be extended to allow time for the independent expert scientific committee to prepare its advice. These measures are necessary to improve community confidence.

Projects which are already approved will continue as before. They will remain subject to the conditions already contained in their approvals. For coal seam gas projects that have been approved by the Commonwealth government in Queensland, the Commonwealth expert advisory panel has been in operation since May 2011, and this panel will continue to advise the minister for the environment. So from those arrangements we will be getting on with the job as quickly as we can, as soon as we can, working with the states and also working with businesses so that there are not undue delays but there is the best possible science available to all.