Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage and relates to the megadams the Queensland government is proposing to build at Traveston Crossing on the Mary River and also at Wyaralong, both of which, as he has acknowledged already, will trigger the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Can the minister confirm that he has the responsibility, under section 87 of that act, to decide which approach is taken to assess the environmental impact of these dams? Given that the Queensland government has made it totally clear that it is determined to build these dams no matter what, on the completely false grounds that there is no alternative that would guarantee a water supply for south-east Queensland, will the minister ensure that the environmental assessments of these dams under the federal law are undertaken via a public inquiry, which would be independent and transparent, rather than rely on assessments done through the Queensland government?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very happy to give an assurance that the Queensland government have advised that both the dam proposals will be referred to us. In fact, when they first announced the decision to build these dams, I immediately contacted my Queensland counterpart and suggested that it would be in the interests of good process for the referrals to take place in a timely manner and I have received that assurance—although it took some time to receive.

Coincidentally, today I met a delegation from Gympie with Warren Truss, the Minister for Trade and also the local member for that area. I am very aware of widespread concern, particularly in the Mary River catchment and along that part of the coast, but also across Australia. As Senator Bartlett would know, there are a number of nationally environmentally significant issues involved. There is a very rare species known as the Australian lungfish, there is the Mary River cod and the Mary River tortoise, all of which are nationally threatened species found in the Mary River. I do not think anyone could underrate the difficulties of building a dam at the proposed site without having an impact on these species. Trying to manage that impact will be difficult. This matter will be referred, under the EPBC Act, to the Australian government. Senator Bartlett has sought an assurance in relation to the process. I assure him that the process will be rigorous and transparent.

One of the things the Howard government has sought to achieve is to ensure that the EPBC provisions and environment law in Australia do not become what they were under previous Labor administrations whereby people making proposals—be they a government wanting to do something or a private developer—had to go through local government approval, state government approval, federal government approval and then potentially approval from a range of other authorities. We are desperately trying, I think with some success, to move in Australia to an approvals system that is far more intuitive, far more science based and less process driven. One of the ways we do that is to seek bilateral agreements with state governments so that we can have one approvals process which is accredited under the federal law. I will this week be introducing reforms to the EPBC Act to move even further down that path, to make sure that the approvals processes are streamlined and that proponents of major proposals—be they state governments or major developers—have a very clear view of the process, at the same time improving transparency and ensuring that public engagement in the process is of a very high quality.

I understand the importance of this issue to Queenslanders. The Queensland government has to balance the needs of their citizens for water with environmental issues. Due to a range of influences—certainly a change in our climate, a range of very bad past practices and lack of infrastructure investment in water in this country—both governments will have to work very hard to balance these very important environmental issues. I am happy to assure the Senate that the Howard government’s leading environmental legislation processes will ensure that that will happen.

Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I note the minister’s indication that the assessment process will be coherent, science based, rigorous and transparent. Can he also indicate, given his understandable desire to have a single, efficient process, that he will ensure that that process can be trusted by the people of south-east Queensland? He acknowledged that, given the state government’s absolute determination—it is on the public record—to build these dams no matter what, they are not best placed to conduct any process that can be seen as independent. Will the minister use his powers under the federal environment act to ensure that the process is public and independent, as he has the power to ensure?

Ian Campbell (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think I have given that assurance, and the decisions I make will of course be very public. I am absolutely certain because of the very strong interest from people like Warren Truss, Alex Somlyay and the local federal members—rarely a day goes by where they and colleagues are not raising these issues—that there is substantial concern about this proposal. On the face of it, it seems that the Queensland government should work a lot harder to find alternative sources of water, but this is their proposal. We will have to make judgements on the environmental impacts, on the nationally environmentally significant aspects of it, and I remind the Senate that our jurisdiction only extends to those nationally environmentally significant aspects. As I have said, they relate to the Australian lungfish, the Mary River cod and the Mary River tortoise. The lungfish in particular I know is an incredibly unique species and a very important species— (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.