Duncan Kerr (Denison, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—Firstly, I acknowledge the profoundly enthusiastic and excellent work which has been done by this committee, led by the member for Moore, but also by the deputy chair, the member for Throsby, who has worked in a most cooperative way with the chair to ensure that some very large tasks undertaken by this committee have been completed within the life of this parliament.

This report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage was produced at short notice. There was some scepticism that a report of worth could be generated in the short time that was available. I also had some scepticism when the reference was first presented to us. It is a mark not only of the work of the committee and the secretariat but also of the excellent submissions that were provided to us and the roundtable discussions that we were permitted to achieve the consolidation of this report in the short time available.

This is a narrowly focused but, I think, entirely worthy use of parliamentary time. There is a very practical side to this report. Currently, consumers have two national accreditation schemes for plumbing and water delivery systems, but they do not interrelate well. We heard evidence from the Institute of Plumbing Australia that there is an anomalous situation whereby you can purchase a product which has the WELS label—which, on its face, appears to be a national certification mark, stating that the product is efficient and appropriate for sale—but a licensed plumber may refuse to instal that product if it is not also WaterMark certified. As the evidence presented to us indicated, not unnaturally this upsets people who may undertake illegal methods of installation and, as the institute indicated, above all it brings what could be a major contributor to water conservation—the WELS scheme—into disrepute.

The five recommendations of the committee are entirely practical. They demonstrate the effective working of this parliament when it establishes committees whose memberships work in a harmonious way. That is not always the case in this parliament. There are some committees for which that has been a less marked characteristic, but this particular committee has always enjoyed, throughout the life of this parliament, a very congenial working relationship between its members. This report simply builds on the work of the committee over the life of this parliament. It is a tribute both to the member for Throsby and the member for Moore that benchmarks are now established in key environmental areas that will be and ought be the foundation for the work of the next parliament when it comes to grips with some of the more complicated issues which the committee have been addressing throughout the life of the present chamber. I thank the member for Moore and also the House for its indulgence.

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