ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation a question relating to environmental assessments.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: On 13 April 2012, the Council of Australian Governments committed to a green tape review seeking to reduce duplication and double handling of environmental assessment and approval processes, yet the commonwealth Senate is currently considering a government bill, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment Bill 2013, which proposes to put in place special environmental impact assessment processes for actions involving coal seam gas or large coalmining development.

The bill would remove the capacity of the commonwealth to enter into bilateral agreements with the state for environmental assessments in this area. My question to the minister is: does the South Australian government consider that the removal of even the possibility of bilateral agreements with the states for environmental assessment is appropriate in the interests of efficient environmental regulation and in the spirit of the COAG agreement?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. My understanding as part of that legislation was that, in fact, to avoid double handling and duplication, the legislation was aimed at allowing other state government assessment processes to be used in place of federal government processes, and vice versa. I think that is probably a very sensible proposition. As to the other matter, I will take that on notice and see what I can find out from the federal government for the honourable member.