Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Birmingham, for the question. While there is a sound understanding of the standards to meet in decisions with regard to other matters of national environmental significance, this is a new matter of national environmental significance and it is important that, in the first instance, we develop the standards through mechanisms such as the scientific committee before we seek to delegate such powers. As I said, this is a new matter of national environmental significance; it has emerged over a very short period of time. It is important that we get a regulatory regime in place which we can be confident about before we start using the delegated powers of the EPBC Act.