Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1). The Commonwealth is negotiating Approval Bilateral Agreements which will enable States to make decisions consistent with the protections and the standards of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The aim is to simplify environmental decision-making not to reduce protections. State and territory governments will be required to meet the performance standards of any agreement designed to reduce duplication, associated resourcing is a matter for state and territory governments.

(2) The Commonwealth is negotiating Approval Bilateral Agreements which will enable the states to make decisions consistent with the protections and the standard of the EPBC Act. The aim is to simplify environmental decision-making not to reduce protections. State and territory governments will be required to meet the performance standards of any agreement designed to reduce duplication, associated resourcing is a matter for state and territory governments.

(3) Negotiations for bilateral agreements are currently underway and the Commonwealth is working toward the COAG deadlines. Successful agreement will depend on the willingness of states throughout this process.

(4) State and territory governments will be required to meet the performance standards of any agreement designed to reduce duplication, associated resourcing is a matter for state and territory governments.

(5) The scope of state and territory assessment and approvals systems are currently being discussed, however Approval Bilateral Agreements will require the state and territory environmental management systems to meet the set outcome performance standards.