Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

As I indicated in my speech in the second reading debate, the Greens have a number of amendments to the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (National Regulator) Bill 2011. While we are supportive in principle, as I outlined in my speech, we think improvements can be made to the bill—and improvements not only to the bill but also that offer better protection for the environment. Given the extra enviro­nmental responsibility that NOPSEMA is going to have, we believe it is important that there be environmental expertise on this new regulator. One of my amendments is about increasing the membership of NOPSEMA, and others go to who is the environmental decision maker in terms of making decisions under the EPBC Act. Some time ago I outlined some concerns about that. I will briefly go into those. Hopefully I will not hold up the chamber too long, but I do want some explanations from the government and some further detail about a couple of issues. I now move amendment (2) on sheet 7119:

(2) Schedule 2, page 83 (after line 21), after item 427, insert:

427A Paragraph 656(1)(b)

Omit "4 or 6", substitute "at least 5, and not more than 7,".

This amendment increases the membership of the NOPSEMA board to make sure there is somebody there with environmental exper­tise. As I said, I understand that you do not represent organisations on boards anymore, but the Greens believe that we do need this expertise in the environment on the NOPSEMA board. I commend the amendment to the chamber.