Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

The department has a long history of considering environmental impact assessments. In the context of its present legislative and regulatory responsibilities, it would exercise any requirements under this legislation in a matter analogous to the approach it takes in relation to the other legislation that it administers. When a departmental delegate is required to take a decision, they consider the obligations that are laid out in the legislation and obtain all necessary information to be able to exercise those functions. Necessarily, that looks a little different depending on the nature of the application before the decision-maker. But, yes, part of the department's core expertise is the capacity to consider environmental impact assessments, and that's the requirement that would be in place should this legislation pass.