Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I want to put on record that the Democrats share the Labor Party’s concern. Again, the State of the environment report noted that the EPBC Act, as it stands, has improved public accountability and access to information. I do not think that the section the bill seeks to remove—the requirement for a report every five years about possible additions to matters of national environmental significance—is a piece of red tape. I think it is a useful accountability mechanism. It might be one that the government and the minister have not chosen to follow, which I think is a bit disappointing, but that is no reason to get rid of it. For that reason, I believe it is better to retain it as the Labor amendment seeks to do.