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Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-10-14 Daily Xml
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Air Quality Standards

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (15:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation questions about proposed changes to national air quality standards.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: Over the last several years the federal environment department has been pursuing a project to vary the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure. A big part of this standard relates to dust particles that might be emitted from industry and other activities. Looking at the submissions that were made to that inquiry it seems that the South Australian EPA has strongly recommended tougher air pollution standards, particularly in relation to dust pollution. They do that on the basis of the known negative impact to human health from dust emissions. My questions to the minister are:

1. Under the Environment Protection Act, the EPA is under the direction and control of the minister on all matters except for licensing and enforcement. Did the minister have any input into the EPA's submission to this process?

2. Are there any particular industries in South Australia that the minister believes might be impacted by a change to national air quality standards?

3. I understand that December this year is when environment ministers will be settling on the final changes to this policy. What position will the South Australian minister be taking to those talks?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (15:23): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions about air quality standards both here and at a national level. As the honourable member is aware, this has been a topic for the environment ministers' meeting that happens two or three times a year. I think he might have asked me a question about this after our last ministerial meeting. I can't quite recollect what I said to him at the time but I will try to recap some of that territory.

In terms of the EPA making submissions, my understanding is that my ability to direct is under the legislation but that is not the normal process on a day-to-day basis. On a day-to-day basis the EPA conducts its work in accordance with its remit under the legislation. In terms of the involvement of the officers at a national level with the EPA here in South Australia and its interstate colleagues, that submission, in terms of the air quality, I believe they undertook themselves. They may have briefed me on it. I cannot quite recall at this point in time, but that is something that is part of their normal everyday work and I would expect them to continue to do that.

At a national level, of course, it is up to the ministers to make determinations about when new air quality standards will be introduced. Our last ministerial meeting determined to tackle that issue in November of this year at our next meeting. As to what position South Australia will be taking to that, I advise the honourable member to watch this space.

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