Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

I very much welcome Senator Pocock's contribution. I agree with much of what he just had to say. It is unfortunate that this issue has been seized upon by members of the opposition for their political ends. It is a really important issue. I say this as the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry along with being a senator in this chamber.

It is an important issue that we ensure landholders are properly consulted in the development of renewable energy infrastructure, and that is exactly why, as Senator Pocock has said, the government has commissioned a review by Mr Andrew Dyer, the Energy Infrastructure Commissioner of Australia, on these issues. I've actually mentioned this to a number of opposition senators and encouraged them to participate in Mr Dyer's review and encourage concerned communities to participate in Mr Dyer's review. These are exactly the issues that Mr Dyer is looking at with regard to the consultation processes when it comes to renewable energy infrastructure, and I suggest that any opposition senator who is actually sincere in their concerns about this issue would be participating in Mr Dyer's review and would encourage affected and interested communities to do so as well. If opposition senators aren't doing that, that just exposes that they're only pursuing this for their political ends. With that, I move:

That the question be put.