Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin) Share this | Hansard source

I think this is not the first time that I have engaged with Senator Xenophon in a discussion or in a debate or in an amending about the significance of the word 'significant'. I do appreciate the manner in which Senator Xenophon has approached this issue. His original amendments were simply to remove the word 'significant', and the opposition was not favourably disposed to that. However, the substitution of the word 'material' does, I think, provide for an adequate test that where there is something that is of adequate import it should be considered a risk but it does not have to pass a size and scope test as to just how great that risk may be to qualify as being a significant risk or a significant adverse impact. The opposition is pleased to hear that the govern­ment is also supporting Senator Xenophon on these amendments. We offer our support and hope that at least this is an appropriate strengthening of the process for the making of these regulations and for the creation of the negative list and that it will provide all the appropriate protection of water availability issues and biodiversity issues and the other factors that are included in proposed section 56(2) of the bill.