Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

This bill will allow the Commonwealth to introduce air pollution standards on non-road spark ignition engines and equipment which will deliver significant environmental and health benefits.

Standards will cover outdoor power equipment such as leaf blowers, lawnmowers, chainsaws and brush cutters, as well as marine engines such as outboards and personal water crafts.

Emissions from these products include nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.

This bill will align Australia with other developed countries and major markets that already have similar standards, including the United States, the European Union, Japan and China. Australian standards will be harmonised to minimise any regulatory burden.

Population and transport growth will increasingly put pressure on the clean air we currently enjoy, especially in urban areas.

Recognising the importance of clean air, Australian environment ministers at the federal, state and territory level established the National Clean Air Agreement in December 2015. The introduction of these standards was identified as a key action.

Small spark engines are extremely high emitters of noxious air pollution for their size. In fact, a two-stroke leaf blower can produce the same amount of nitrogen oxides as one car and the same amount of hydrocarbons as 150 cars. At peak times, they can contribute up to 10 per cent of air pollution in urban areas.

Mr Bowen interjecting—

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