Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

On the first question—can the Australian people be confident?—I certainly think they can be confident about our environmental protections and I think that is demonstrated by our strong environmental record as a country and as a nation, including in the protection of our offshore areas. That is the ultimate test obviously of whether our environmental protections are working.

This particular issue was an administrative requirement in the sense that we needed to receive approval from another minister for certain decisions to be renewed or extended. Those renewals and extensions were still assessed based on the requirements that go to the more substantive issues of protecting the environment in the act. That particular administrative check was not received in this case. We have discovered that and are seeking to fix it through this bill.

I am advised that the department is conducting a further comprehensive review to ensure that any other legislative requirements are adhered to. Of course I am confident that if any other issues are discovered through that process that the government will act quickly to rectify those issues, as it has in this instance where within a matter of months processes have changed and this legislation is here. I should add that I am advised that the Department of the Environment has established a new process to ensure that any further renewals or extensions of petroleum titles do receive approval by the Minister for the Environment or his or her delegate. Of course, this legislation affects only those decisions made before 1 January 2016. Decisions to renew or extend licences after that date will need to accord with the legislative requirement that exists to receive the Minister for the Environment's approval.