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

As I have explained on a number of occasions, the environmental impact assessment must include a geological assessment and marine characterisation of the disposal site and an impact and risk assessment. This is so as to assess what the impacts would be on sites, including sensitive sites. If this project was taking place in Australian waters, the provisions that already apply under the EPBC Act in matters of national environmental significance would also require an EPBC assessment of a project that was in a very sensitive place.