Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I suspect that Senator Whish-Wilson exaggerates somewhat what he describes as those who are 'up in arms'. I again restate, as I did in answering the primary question and the first supplementary question, that when it comes to any applications for seismic testing, offshore drilling or any such activities they go through a very thorough assessment process. That assessment process is designed to ensure that the scientific evidence is heeded, that safeguards are met and, indeed, that it involves opportunities for communities, stakeholders, or others to have their say as part of that assessment process and to present evidence to those assessments. That's precisely what will occur in the case of any of the types of hypothetical circumstances that Senator Whish-Wilson raises. It will be done properly in a way that balances those interests and assesses the evidence but also still provides an opportunity for job creation to occur in Australia where projects meet the appropriate safeguards.