David Leyonhjelm (NSW, Liberal Democratic Party) Share this | Hansard source

I present an interim report of the Red Tape Committee on the effect of red tape on environmental assessments and approvals, together with the Hansard record of proceedings and documents presented to the committee.

Ordered that the report be printed.

I move:

That the Senate take note of the report.

This report considers the issue of environmental regulation.

Ironically, the origin of the term 'red tape' is generally attributed to the 16th century administrative system of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, which used red tape for priority documents which required immediate action.

Given that red tape is now considered to be pernicious, corrosive and difficult-to-eradicate regulation, it seems highly appropriate that Charles V is more notable for his army spreading syphilis across Europe and thence to the rest of the world!

In its efforts to cure the Australian economy of its own administrative social disease, the Red Tape Committee has made a number of recommendations which we hope, not to mince words, will beat the clap out of environmental overregulation!

The committee's first recommendation responds to the many concerns expressed regarding the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The committee recommends the Australian government expedite its review as required under section 522A of that act, by bringing it forward to 2018.

The committee further considers the inclusion of uranium mining as a matter of national environmental significance in the EPBC Act is duplicative and unnecessary and recommends it be removed.

The committee noted that only three states or territories—Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland—permit uranium mining in their jurisdiction, and all have well-established assessment and approval processes to which Commonwealth involvement adds little value, if any.

In fact, duplication between the Commonwealth or states and territories was a major focus on the committee's inquiry.

Currently, states and territories conduct environmental assessments and propose conditions of approval which must then be approved by the Commonwealth under the EPBC Act.

This dual regulation perpetuates duplication, inconsistencies, high implementation costs and extended delays.

The Productivity Commission and the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee have supported the establishment of a one-stop shop concept, and this is something that the Red Tape Committee strongly supports. The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, NOPSEMA, provides a model by which this might be achieved.

On the question of the method of environmental regulation—