Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move amendment (7) on sheet 7495:

Schedule 1, item 20, page 9 (line 9), omit "or safety", substitute ", safety, integration or environmental sustainability".

This amendment incorporates into the purposes of what is to be funded whether it is appropriate to approve a project. There is a whole list of criteria currently in the bill, matters to which the minister may have regard in deciding whether it is appropriate to approve a project as an investment project. One of them, in the existing proposed bill, is the extent to which the project would improve the efficiency, security or safety of transport operations. This amendment would change that so that it became 'efficiency, security, safety, integration of environmental sustainability' of transport operations—so, including the terms 'integration' and 'environmental sustainability'.

We think this would bring it into line with what is basically standard practice across the country and would reflect all economic, social and environmental criteria. For example, the Victorian Transport Integration Act has a vision statement that says that the aspiration of Victorians for an integrated and sustainable transport system is that it contributes to an inclusive, prosperous and environmentally responsible state. I think including those things—transport integration, making sure that our transport systems are working effectively together, all supporting each other—is a very important concept when you are talking about what we should be investing in for transport. And environmental sustainability, as part of a trio of looking at environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social responsibility, really should be there in the purposes for any investment in transport infrastructure.