Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I want to speak briefly to this motion. Of course the Greens support strong environmental laws and their application to all development projects, including wind farms—which I believe is Senator Madigan's chief concern—and habitat clearing from coalmines, which also affect migratory birds. I want to put on the record our concern that there were some small technical factual inaccuracies in the motion. Firstly, there was the contention that governments could refer projects. They cannot. That is what proponents do. Secondly, there was the contention that the EPBC Act obliged flight path protection. It does not. With those caveats, the Greens are happy to support the motion.