Dio Wang (WA, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Birmingham. Australian farmers are still principally small business. The Palmer United Party supports the needs of Australian farmers. I put it to you that the Commonwealth must directly cut the environmental regulatory burden and not pass responsibilities on to states, in the hope that farmers get a fair go. This government removed the resources supporting communication to farmers who were led into the EPBC Act. Will the minister recommit to resourcing liaison officers to communicate with farmers their responsibilities under the EPBC Act?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wang for his question and understand and appreciate his interest and the commitment that he has demonstrated in the chamber during his time here in relation to farmers and the agricultural sector. It is an interest that Senator Lazarus and the Palmer United Party generally have spoken about. This government is committed to reducing red tape and the regulatory burden on all Australian businesses, including Australian farmers and primary producers. We are committed to doing all we possibly can to ease the cost of doing business, to axe red tape and to axe green tape wherever it is unnecessary.

In the environment space, we are committed to our one-stop shop reforms around environmental regulation. We are committed to delivering those because we believe that it will provide a better outcome for all of those who need to seek environmental approvals. They will only need to work through one process of assessments and one process of approvals rather than working through a state process as well is a separate federal process. We are in the process of working through these changes with each of the states and territories, but we are absolutely determined to implement this policy in a way that reduces the cost and regulatory burden for farmers and for anybody dealing with the environmental approvals framework.

Senator Wang, in relation to the particular issue you raise about liaison officers, I will happily have a discussion with you about that. I do not have specific information in relation to those positions available at this time, but I will be more than happy to work with you to bring some information back to you in due course in regard to those positions.

Dio Wang (WA, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Instead of trusting state governments, will the minister reduce the requirements relating to grassland listings as an effective way of reducing the regulatory burden on Australian farmers who are simply attempting to farm their freehold title land?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The EPBC Act relates to matters of national environmental significance that are well defined within that act. There are then specific listings of certain types of endangered species, both flora and fauna, within that. There is a very thorough assessment process, based on science, that is quite robust that underpins those listings. If there are particular concerns that you have, Senator Wang, about the nature of any of those listings then, once again, I would be more than happy to take this up with the minister and tried to seek some explanation around those listings. We are committed to having an environmental approvals regime that does protect critical, nationally important environmental standards but does so in a way that is efficient and effective when it comes to those who engage with it. So I am very happy to talk to you about the specific concerns of any farmers who may have approached you or the Palmer United Party.

Dio Wang (WA, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister commit to strong oversight over the work of the independent expert scientific committee relating to the protection of precious and scarce water resources used by farmers in regional communities?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development, in relation to coal seam gas and large coalmines, does very valuable work not just for the Commonwealth government but also for the states who signed on to utilise its expertise. We are committed to its independence. We are committed to that advisory committee providing robust advice to the Commonwealth government in relation to our approvals through the EPBC Act process, particularly in relation to the application of the water trigger and the protection of water resources, as well as ensuring that at the state level its information is made available under the agreements that the states signed on to, to inform their approvals processes, which generally have a broader application, of course, in relation to resources projects and the application of their mining and environmental approvals regimes for any resources developments. Certainly, in relation to that independent expert scientific committee, we expect it to be independent and well-resourced. (Time expired)