Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

On 1 November, Senator Waters asked me questions regarding the handover of federal environmental responsibilities to the states. I seek leave to have incorporated in Hansard some further information that has been supplied to me from the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Mr Burke.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

Regarding the matters of national environmental significance that are within scope of the bilateral reform process:

In keeping with the agreement made on 13 April 2012 at the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), Australian, state and territory governments are working together to prioritise the development of bilateral arrangements that accredit state and territory assessment and approval processes. Through this process, the Australian Government is prepared to consider accrediting state and territory jurisdictions to approve all matters of national environmental significance, except uranium mining, where the Australian Government is confident that the requirements for accreditation under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) will be met.

Regarding involvement of the business community in the design of our environmental laws:

The Australian Government has consulted a variety of stakeholders, including representatives from the business community, environmental non-government organisations and the public, throughout the reform process to ensure that the EPBC Act continues to serve Australia effectively. This includes consultation in relation to the Australian Government response to the independent review of the EPBC Act, the EPBC Act amendment bill and cost recovery under the EPBC Act.

Since the release of the government response to the independent review of the EPBC Act on 24 August 2011, business groups have not met with the Federal Environment Minister about the design of amendments to the EPBC Act. However, representatives from business groups have attended the following consultation events with the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (the department) relating to the design of EPBC Act amendments:

a) 27-28 March 2012: Stakeholder roundtable to discuss the implementation of the Australian Government response to the independent review of the EPBC Act.

b) 14 June 2012: Stakeholder roundtable to discuss Cost Recovery under the EPBC Act draft cost recovery impact statement.

Regarding the capacity of State and Territory jurisdictions to protect matters of national environmental significance:

The Australian Government will only accredit State and Territory systems where they meet the requirements of the EPBC Act. The draft standards, released on

2 November 2012, represent the Australian Government's framework for accrediting environmental assessment and approval bilateral agreements.