Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation) Share this | Hansard source

I give notice that, on the next day of sitting, I shall move:

That the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (8) of standing order 111 not apply to the following bills, allowing them to be considered during this period of sittings:

Water Bill 2007

Water (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2007.

I also table a statement of reasons justifying the need for these bills to be considered during the sittings and seek leave to have a statement incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The statement read as follows—

Purpose of the Bills

The Water Bill establishes an overriding Commonwealth water resource management function across the Murray-Darling Basin and a national water data collection, analysis and information service within the Bureau of Meteorology.

The Water (Consequential Amendments) Bill makes amendments to the Meteorology Act 1955 , the National Water Commission Act 2004 , and the Trade Practices Act 1974 in order to give effect to the Water Bill.

Reasons for Urgency

The Water Bill and the Water (Consequential Amendments) Bill are necessary to implement the measures contained within the National Plan for Water Security.

These bills are necessary to implement the measures contained within the National Plan for Water Security.

The current arrangements for the management of the Murray-Darling Basin by consensus of the relevant states, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Commonwealth have failed to deliver timely and adequate responses to the accelerating over use and degradation of the water resources of the Basin. The National Plan for Water Security provides for these measures to be addressed subject to placing the Basin under overriding Commonwealth authority.

These bills, together as a package, provide for Commonwealth management of the Murray-Darling Basin and are a prerequisite for the implementation of the assistance and reform measures set out in the National Plan for Water Security. Failure to implement the measures quickly will delay the reforms and allow the degradation and over use of the waters of the Murray-Darling Basin to compound.

Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes with grave concern:

(i)

the deteriorating state of conservation in the five World Heritage sites in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the Virunga National Park, home to more than half of the 700 mountain gorillas remaining on the planet,

(ii)

the occupation of the Virunga National Park by militia, resulting in the slaughter of large numbers of wild animals for bushmeat,

(iii)

the recent execution-style killing of four mountain gorillas, shot in the head and the hand, in Virunga National Park as payback for the crackdown on the militia occupying the park, and

(iv)

the decision of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand in July 2007, to request the Director-General of UNESCO and the Director of the World Heritage Centre to convene a meeting with the President of the World Conservation Union and representatives of the African Union to address the rapidly deteriorating state of conservation of the World Heritage sites in the DRC; and

(b)

calls on the Government:

(i)

to convey to the DRC Government, Australia’s concern at the destruction of wildlife, and in particular the mountain gorillas, in the World Heritage sites and Australia’s willingness to assist in bringing about a solution, and

(ii)

as a state party to the World Heritage Convention, to do all it can to support international efforts within the convention to urgently address the issue, and to use its good offices to urge the Director-General of UNESCO to step up efforts to bring all parties together in order to secure the World Heritage sites and their wildlife.

Senator Bob Brown to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (Mr Turnbull) take account of the report by Dr Stuart Godfrey in assessing the impact of the Gunns Limited’s proposed pulp mill on the environment of Bass Strait and the Tamar River.

Senator Milne to move on the next day of sitting:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

growing concern about the deteriorating state of human rights, democracy, freedom of expression and the rights of civil society in the Russian Federation (Russia), particularly the use of force against peaceful demonstrators, the suppression of the democracy movement and the increasingly unfair Duma elections, as well as reports of the use of torture in prisons,

(ii)

the bashing and murder of sleeping activists protesting against the planned construction of an international uranium enrichment centre at the Angarsk uranium enrichment plant in Siberia,

(iii)

the 2005 Russian deal to sell uranium to Iran to fuel the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant, in spite of widespread fears about Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program, and

(iv)

the Government’s negotiation of a proposed agreement to sell uranium to Russia, in spite of its close nuclear relationship with Iran; and

(b)

calls on the Government not to negotiate any agreement on the supply of uranium to Russia.