Nigel Scullion (NT, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is not rubbish, Senator Forshaw. It might be absolutely beyond your ken that a minister would put aside financial and development pressure and considerations and put aside making arbitrary decisions and actually make a decision based on science. That might not be the way you do business, but it is the way we do business on this side. That is why we consistently have the support of the Australian people on these matters.

This minister and this government have a long history of following the process and making sure we get it right. Senator Forshaw, I know you are interested in this matter. From your wide reading on these matters, you will no doubt understand that it is a very delicate balance that one has to find between the pressures of development and the need to provide good environmental protection. The government, under successive ministers, including Minister Campbell—have very carefully sought information to get this balance right.

For your benefit, Senator Forshaw, the way the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act works is that we follow a series of steps. I will mention an example which is perhaps a little out of your jurisdiction—the dugong recovery plans. This was a process that was laid down very prescriptively. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, an application needed to be made to continue a number of fisheries that interacted with the dugong. A specific amount of time was given. It was said, ‘Under the current circumstances, that sort of fishing will not be allowed to continue for a certain time until a specific recovery plan is implemented.’ That is how the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act works—just for your benefit, Senator Forshaw. Of course, that is quite consistent with the decision that the minister has made today.