Water Bill approved by Parliament, Draft Decision on Pulp Mill, Greenhouse Reporting Bill introduced
It has been an eventful week in my portfolio since my last newsletter. The Water Bill was approved by the Senate on Friday night, I introduced the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Bill into the House of Representatives and today I have released for ten business days of public comment a draft decision, conditions and reasons for recommendation relating to the Tamar Valley Pulp Mill in Tasmania. Water Bill 2007 approved by Parliament The Bill for the Water Act 2007 has now been approved by both Houses of Parliament. It is the most significant reform of water management in our nation's history. I have often said that it took the vision and courage of the Howard Government to take this issue out of the too hard basket where it had languished for more than a century - and that's quite true. However, this reform process has had its diffculties, and I must confess that I now know why it was in the too hard basket for so long! Water reform and water planning are not easy. On the other hand, it is very easy to make politically attractive, short term decisions and forget about the long term. The Water Act and the National Plan for Water Security of which it is part is a stand out example of what we need more of - planning for the long term in the national interest. The benefits of managing the waters of the Murray Darling Basin on a sustainable basis will be felt many decades into the future. The National Plan for Water Security is a practical example of a long term response to the consequences of climate change. One of the most significant impacts of climate change is that southern Australia is likely to be hotter and drier with a consequent reduction in water availability. That means we need to use water more efficiently and ensure that water plans ensure that irrigators have security and environmental assets have the water they need as well. This will require substantial investment ($10 billion over ten years), the best science and careful planning by the new independent and expert Murray Darling Basin Authority. The Prime Minister will shortly be writing to the four Murray Darling Basin Premiers with a proposed Inter Governmental Agreement giving the four Basin States the opportunity to support continued and more comprehensive water reform into the future. For more on the Water Bill, my second reading speech and a video of the speech is on my website here . Copies of the Bill and the Explanatory Memorandum can be downloaded from the Parliament website here National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Bill We are in the process of establishing the world's most comprehensive emissions trading scheme - covering around 75% of all of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. In order to avoid the failures of other emission trading schemes, such as that set up in the EU, a key part of the preparatory work is to ensure that we have a thorough method of accounting for and measuring greenhouse gas emissions and energy use. At the same time, we dont want to drown business in a sea of red tape. This Bill will in many cases replace up to eight different types of emission and energy reporting with one report and so it will deliver a more reliable and accurate report but for many business reduce the cost of compliance. My press release on the introduction of the Bill is here and my second reading speech is here. Tamar Valley Pulp Mill Proposal One of the most contentious issues before me for decision has been the proposal by Gunns Ltd to build a pulp mill on the Tamar River near Launceston. The proposal gives rise to a number of important environmental issues, although only a minority of them are under Federal jurisdiction by reason of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act). As is usually the case, for some time the assessment of both the State and Federal environmental issues were proceeding under a bilateral process, in this case via the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC) of the Tasmanian State Government. Earlier this year, Gunns Ltd withdrew from that process and the Tasmanian Premier, Mr Lennon, decided to proceed with a different assessment process which involved an expert consultant's report (Sweco Pik) followed by a vote on the mill to be held by the Tasmanian State Parliament at the end of this month. I was very disappointed with that decision and resolved not to continue with any bilateral process and instead to proceed to consider the Federal issues under our own legislation. I am very concerned to ensure that there is as much transparency in my decision making as possible. Accordingly we have provided ample opportunity for public comments on the project to be heard and considered in the course of this year and the Federal Court recently concluded that our process was entirely in accordance with the legislation. My Department has recommended to me a form of approval for the mill and a set of stringent conditions relating to the federal issues, the most publicly contentious of which is the impact of the effluent on the Commonwealth marine environment. I have decided to publish these recommendations as a draft decision and under s. 131A of the EPBC Act invite public comments on the draft decision for ten business days. I have also invited the Chief Scientist of Australia, Dr Jim Peacock AC, to give me his independent advice on the draft decisions and he will do so, assisted by an expert panel of scientists. Following the period for public comment my Department and I will consider the input received as will the Chief Scientist. I will receive advice from the Department and from the Chief Scientist and then I will make a final decision. A media release explaining this course of action in more detail is here. on my website and the entirety of the draft decision, conditions and supporting documentation is on the Environment Department website here If you have difficulty finding that link, you can get there from the home page http://www.environment.gov.au/ The Tasmanian Government's hamfisted handling of this matter has undoubtedly eroded the trust of the Tasmanian people in the process of assessment and this is very regrettable. It is why I have chosen to proceed to assess the federal issues under our own process which is giving ample opportunity, consistent with the Act, for public input. As you will see if you read the draft material presented my Department has carefully taken into account the views of all parties including Gunns Ltd and those critical of the Mill. We have sought advice from independent experts on a range of issues including the possibility of recycling water used on the site.
Yours Sincerely
Malcolm Turnbull