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

Senator Birmingham's contribution absolutely makes the point that I am trying to make. I am going to go through it very slowly. I will read the paragraph I have now read into the Hansard for I think the third time. While there is a sound understanding of the standards to meet in decisions with regard to other matters of national environmental significance, other matters like World Heritage listing, Ramsar wetland matters, matters relating to threatened species and ecological communities, you said strict criteria must be adhered to, that there needs to be strong standards for use of bilateral provisions. We understand that because we understand those environmental processes. We understand the protections that are required. There are international treaties—you referred to CITES yourself

We know what we need to do when it comes to threatened species. We know what the provisions are. This is an emerging piece of regulatory response that we need to have to coal seam gas and large coalmines. That is why we cannot delegate those powers—because we do not have the standards. This is a new matter of national environmental significance and it is important that, in the first instance, we develop the standards. You said that we need to spell out the conditions. We need to develop those standards so that we can spell out those conditions through mechanisms such as the scientific committee before we seek to delegate these powers. These are new and emerging environmental situations that we need to better understand before delegation can occur. I really hope I have made it plain.

The second question is: what types of conditions would we require? We need to develop them. It is a hypothetical question. Your last question was: what time line would there be? Again, that is hypothetical. This is an emerging area of environmental protection that needs to be provided here in Australia. We need the expert scientific committee to do the work that Senator Back referred to. I do not accept Senator Back's assertions about the way our scientific committee is being used; it is being used well. We respect them and we know that we need that advice from them.

But, really, Senator Birmingham, this is different from world heritage. It is different from threatened species. It is different from threatened ecological communities. And we need a different approach.