Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator McAllister. Firstly, as it's my first question to the new minister, congratulations. I look forward to asking many more questions. Last night's Four Corners broadcast revealed the true cost of environmental mismanagement in the Northern Territory, with the NT government choosing to ignore the science, experts and Territorian community in favour of vested interests and corporate greed.

The cotton and fracking industries are being handed huge overallocations of precious water at great cost to the Territory's most crucial rivers, including the Daly, the Katherine and the Roper rivers. There are serious allegations of conflicts of interest, water theft and illegal land clearing. When will the government take federal action and establish a federal inquiry?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks very much, Senator Hanson-Young, for the question. I think the most important thing to understand here is that the federal government will continue to exercise its powers under the EPBC Act as they relate to land management activities and water activities. The observation I would make is that the Northern Territory government has primary responsibility for land management activities, including land clearing, so approval under national environmental law is only required for actions that will or are likely to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance.

You'll understand that we are seeking to reform the EPBC Act. That is a reform process that has been underway for some time. There are laws before the Senate at the moment that include the establishment of a national environment protection agency that would have strong new powers and strong new penalties, and we are hopeful that senators in this place will provide support for that legislation because we think it is past time that we started to act on the reforms that were proposed by Mr Samuel and have been so widely consulted upon with stakeholders.

Environment Protection Australia will be a tough cop on the beat, and it will have strong powers and penalties, and it will be able to crack down on illegal land clearing. It will also be able to issue stop-work orders to prevent serious environmental damage and proactively audit businesses to ensure that they're doing the right thing.

My appeal to senators, including Greens senators, is to back these laws. They are before the Senate. We could debate them; we could get moving on them. It is a big process of reform. It's a process that business thinks is overdue and that the environment movement seeks to have come about, and we are looking for partners to pursue that. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, first supplementary?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These serious allegations of water theft, of illegal land clearing and of conflicts of interest are happening right now. When will your government take some action on this? Your minister has been aware of it for months. Will you inquire into these damning allegations?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator, for the question. Water in this continent is precious and it is limited. You will know, Senator Hanson-Young, that, around the country, it's something that animates significant discussion within communities, including within First Nations communities, but the truth is that states and territories are responsible for managing water in their jurisdictions. The arrangements in the Murray-Darling Basin are an exception to that and were put in place after significant negotiations and discussions between the Commonwealth and the states and the territories.

However, it is the case that national coordination and leadership matters. Back in 2004, the government of the day established the National Water Initiative. That initiative is now 20 years old. That plan, the National Water Initiative, needs to be updated. We need to think about issues like climate change. We need to properly recognise the role of First Nations people. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson-Young, second supplementary?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the powers the minister does have is a power that this chamber granted the minister with the water trigger. In relation to Tamboran and Empire Energy's fracking wells, when will this minister use her powers, call in these projects and pull the trigger?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, you will know, and you will have heard the minister say on many occasions, that her obligation under the EPBC Act is to assess information that is before her when certain thresholds are triggered. She has also indicated, as have plenty of environment ministers before her, that speculating about the way that she will use her powers is not a helpful thing to do.

The minister has repeatedly made it clear that all projects must comply with national environmental law. All projects need to comply with the expanded water trigger that was introduced by this government, and, in the case of the company that you reference, they have been reminded of this on multiple occasions. It is the case that any breach of national environmental law will be treated extremely seriously. (Time expired)