Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate calls on the Government to implement its policy to insert a greenhouse trigger into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

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

by leave—This government is committed to developing a comprehensive approach to the threat posed by climate change after over a decade of irresponsible inaction by the previous government. This government is committed to considering the need for a greenhouse trigger under the EPBC Act as part of the government’s overall climate change response. Any proposed greenhouse trigger under the EPBC Act would need to be considered in the context of the government’s broader climate change strategy—in particular, the CPRS—so as to ensure that Australia’s climate change response is coherent as well as economically and environmentally sound.

Dr Allan Hawke, supported by an expert panel, is currently undertaking an independent review of the operation of the EPBC Act. Submissions to the review have raised issues concerning introducing a greenhouse trigger. It is expected that Dr Hawke’s review will be examining this issue. In determining the way forward in this area, the government will, amongst other matters, carefully consider any recommendations from Dr Hawke in relation to this matter and, for those reasons, will not support the recommendation.

Question put:

That the motion (Senator Milne’s) be agreed to.