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

by leave—I move opposition amendments (1), (2) and (3) on sheet 7382 concurrently:

(1) Schedule 1, item 3A, page 7 (lines 24 and 25).

(2) Schedule 1, item 4A, page 7 (lines 28 and 29).

(3) Schedule 1, item 4B, page 7 (lines 30 and 31).

At the outset, before I necessarily make longer comments in favour of these amendments, can I direct a question to the minister in this regard. These amendments seek to remove an amendment that was inserted into the legislation in the House of Representatives. That amendment limits the capacity of the government or future governments to use bilateral approvals and agreements in relation to the operation of this part of the EPBC Act. My question to the minister is: why is it necessary and justifiable to oppose or disallow bilateral agreements solely in relation to coal seam gas and large coalmining developments and not in relation to any other developments that may be controlled actions as a result of any other of the triggers in the EPBC Act?