Debate resumed from 28 February, on motion by Senator Siewert and Senator Milne:

(1)

That the Senate notes:

(a)

the recommendation of the Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change to ‘Build national resilience to the impacts of climate change’;

(b)

the announcement of support for the Roundtable’s recommendation by the National Farmers Federation (NFF) on 6 December 2006, stating that the ‘NFF believes that climate change may be the greatest threat confronting Australian farmers and their productive capacity’; and

(c)

the call by representatives of 16 faiths on 5 December 2006 for the Australian Government to take urgent action on climate change.

(2)

That the following matters be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2007:

(a)

the need for a national strategy to help Australian agricultural industries to mitigate and adapt to climate change;

(b)

consideration of the risks and opportunities presented by reduced rainfall, increased temperatures, higher evaporation and increased climactic variability for Australian agriculture;

(c)

assessment of the state of existing knowledge, the relevance of current strategies, and the adequacy of existing research and development programs to the need to address impacts of climate change on the security of Australian food production and the viability of rural communities; and

(d)

the effectiveness of the National Plan for Water Security in meeting the challenges of protecting the health of our rivers, floodplains, wetlands and other dependent environments, ensuring secure water supplies for our towns and cities, and maintaining the viability of our agricultural sector.