Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The time allotted for debate in committee has expired. In accordance with the order agreed to yesterday, the time for consideration of the Infrastructure Australia Amendment (Independent Review) Bill 2023 has expired. We will now put questions on the remaining stages of the bill. We will deal firstly with the amendments circulated by the Australian Greens on sheet 2001 revised 3.

Australian Greens' circulated amendments—

(1) Schedule 1, page 3 (after line 12), after item 2, insert:

2A Section 3 (at the end of paragraph (d) of the definition of nationally significant infrastructure )

Add "and".

2B Section 3 (after paragraph (d) of the definition of nationally significant infrastructure )

Insert:

(e) social infrastructure;

2C Section 3

Insert:

social infrastructure means facilities, spaces, services or networks that support quality of life and wellbeing of communities.

(2) Schedule 1, item 3, page 3 (after line 22), after paragraph 5(c), insert:

(d) to assess, and report on, projects relating to nationally significant infrastructure in accordance with section 5DA;

(3) Schedule 1, item 4, page 4 (after line 10), at the end of section 5A, add:

(4) Infrastructure Australia must cause a copy of an audit prepared under this section to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 10 sitting days of that House after the audit is finalised.

(4) Schedule 1, item 4, page 5 (after line 14), at the end of section 5B, add:

Tabling requirement

(10) Infrastructure Australia must cause a copy of the following documents to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 10 sitting days of that House after the document is finalised:

(a) the national planning and assessment framework mentioned in subsection (1);

(b) the summaries mentioned in subsection (9).

(5) Schedule 1, item 4, page 6 (after line 13), at the end of section 5C, add:

Tabling requirement

(7) Infrastructure Australia must cause a copy of an Infrastructure Priority List and an Infrastructure Plan to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 10 sitting days of that House after the document is finalised.

(6) Schedule 1, item 4, page 7 (after line 29), after section 5D, insert:

5DA Functions — assessments of certain nationally significant infrastructure projects without prior evaluation

(1) For the purposes of paragraph 5(d), Infrastructure Australia has the function of assessing, and reporting on, projects covered by subsection (2).

(2) A project is covered by this subsection if:

(a) it is a project for investment in, or enhancements to, nationally significant infrastructure; and

(b) the project involves expenditure by or on behalf of the Commonwealth; and

(c) the Commonwealth Government's total expenditure involved in the project is more than $250 million; and

(d) the Commonwealth Government has committed to the project without prior evaluation (or endorsement of evaluation) of a proposal for the project by Infrastructure Australia.

(3) Infrastructure Australia must ensure that assessments under this section are conducted at least once in each financial year beginning on or after the commencement of this section and prepare a report on the assessment.

(4) Infrastructure Australia must cause a copy of the report on the assessment under subsection (3) to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 10 sitting days after it has been finalised.

Other assessments

(5) Infrastructure Australia may conduct other assessments under this section, and prepare reports on those assessments, on its own initiative.

(6) Infrastructure Australia must cause a copy of the report on the assessment mentioned in subsection (5) to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 10 sitting days after it has been finalised.

Conduct of assessments

(7) The regulations may prescribe matters relating to the conduct of assessments under this section.

(7) Schedule 1, item 22, page 13 (line 1), at the end of subsection 8(3), add:

; and (c) the person is not an existing or former member of the governing body of:

(i) a company engaged in coal, oil or gas extraction; or

(ii) an energy company based on the burning of coal, oil or gas.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: The opposition has circulated an amendment to Australian Greens amendment (6). As these amendments were circulated after 9.30 am, they can only be considered by leave. Is someone seeking leave to move them?