Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That there be laid on the table by the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (Senator Wong), by 22 June 2009, the Australian Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment 2008 and all documents used in its preparation, including drafts.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—The government cannot support this motion as the document requested, the Australian Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment 2008, is not complete. Responsibility for the former National Land and Water Resources Audit’s draft Terrestrial Biodiversity Assessment was assigned to the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts in November 2008. The draft report has been considered by peer reviewers and the states and territories. All reviewers identified that further work was needed to finalise the report. When the draft report was received by the department that additional work had not occurred. The report is currently being revised in line with the comments from the peer reviewers and the states and territories. It is due to be made available to the public in October 2009. The report will summarise the available data and information on Australia’s biodiversity. It would be inappropriate to release the report in draft form before the additional work required has been completed.

Question negatived.