Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Hansard source

I think it is only appropriate that the Commonwealth works on the basis that we treat the proposal coming from the Queensland government on its merits and that we work in partnership with the Queensland government on a process that we have agreed and that the full force of the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act will not be in any way undermined. The full force of that law will be brought to bear on this project. But I think we have to act on the basis that the Queensland government will bring fairness to this process. I know that it is easy for others to treat that cynically but, as two governments, we have to work on the basis that their government will deal with this process as agreed through the bilateral agreement. I reiterate that it is the Queensland government’s decision to build these dams. There are nationally significant environmental issues, including the lungfish and the Mary River cod, as I understand it. They will get the full protection of the law. (Time expired)