David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

The opposition does not support, indeed may I say that we oppose, these amendments. The powers in the bill for a commission of inquiry are more than adequate. This amendment, incorporating a resource management implication aspect, requires the commission, or the inquirers, to undertake a quite considerable investigation—indeed, may I say, a study. This is utterly inappropriate when we are looking at reporting factually on what has occurred.

I underline the inclusion of environmental impact and then potential impact as being completely an ambit claim and requiring the commission to undertake a vast study of matters that are tenuously connected to an incident. The assessment of management and effectiveness and the provision of accessibility of relevant information to affected stakeholders and the public is in a similar vein. This is an ambit claim.

I see no real understanding, in this amendment, of what the bill seeks to do and achieve in terms of a post facto inquiry into incidents. NOPSA has a very proud and successful history of managing, for many, many years, offshore safety in the petroleum industry and I see no benefit in this amendment at all.

Question negatived.

Bills agreed to.

Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 and Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage (Safety Levies) Amendment Bill 2009 reported without amendment; report adopted.