John Watson (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances, I give notice that 15 sitting days after today I shall move:

That the Amendment of List of Specimens taken to be suitable for live import [EPBC/s.303EC/SSLI/Amend/012], made under paragraph 303EC(1)(c) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, be disallowed.

I seek leave to incorporate in Hansard a short summary of the matters raised by the committee.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

Amendment of List of Specimens Taken to be Suitable for Live Import [EPBC/s.303EC/ SSLI/Amend/012]

This Amendment adds two species of monkey to the list of specimens that are suitable for live import and amends the import conditions for another species of monkey.

Section 17 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 directs a rule-maker to be satisfied that appropriate consultation, as is reasonably practicable, has been undertaken particularly where a proposed instrument is likely to have an effect on business. Section 18 of the Act provides that in some circumstances consultation may be unnecessary or inappropriate. The definition of ‘explanatory statement’ in section 4 of the Act requires an explanatory statement to describe the nature of any consultation that has been carried out or, if there has been no consultation, to explain why none was undertaken. The Explanatory Statement that accompanies this instrument makes no reference to consultation. The Committee has written to the Minister seeking advice on whether consultation was undertaken and, if so, the nature of that consultation.

Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes that:

(i)

the Reva electric car has been approved for use in the European Union, Japan and Malta and is being test marketed in the United States of America, Sri Lanka, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Romania and Cyprus,

(ii)

electric vehicles can reduce both Australia’s dependence on foreign oil and its greenhouse gas emissions, particularly when recharged with renewable electricity, and

(iii)

based on accident and insurance data, the chance of a fatality occurring in a Reva is around 50 per cent less than in an ordinary car; and

(b)

calls on the Government to:

(i)

remove any impediment that would prevent the import of 20 Revas into Australia for a trial,

(ii)

adopt the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Heavy Quadricycle category 92/61/EC as a vehicle class, and

(iii)

extend the import permit to delay the destruction or export of the one Reva vehicle currently in Australia.