Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to see that the member for Moreton, as usual, has made a contribution. It is good to see the member for Moreton here.

The stated objective of Greenpeace and others is to mount legal challenges to the approval of key ports, mines and rail lines—to run legal challenges to delay, limit or stop all major infrastructure projects such as mines, rail and ports—that have been identified through their high-priority strategy. The amendments in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Standing) Bill 2015 seek to remove their ability to do that, to ensure that we create a framework so that business in this country, after it has been through a due process of assessment under the EPBC Act, can get on with the business of developing the mines, building the rail and building the infrastructure that this country desperately needs to fund its economic growth and to build and grow jobs for Australians. It is interesting to ask the question about whether those opposite actually support that notion of economic growth and jobs for Australians or support the activities of Greenpeace and their ilk who would prevent these jobs from being provided in our economy.

As I touched on earlier, these delays cost jobs in communities that need them most. I have already touched on some of the examples in Central Queensland around Gladstone, Rockhampton, Emerald and Mackay. But I am even aware of significant businesses in my electorate of Forde that have been affected by the downturn in the mining industry and are hoping that these new projects such as the Adani mine can get their approvals, get up and running and provide jobs in my local community as well.

Under this government, we want to be open for business. These changes to the EPBC Act are part of removing that uncertainty for investors. Since we have come into government, we have halved the time for approvals and cleared the backlog of approvals that was sitting there when those opposite lost government. We have also approved over $1 trillion in projects around the country. We have improved the certainty of doing business. That certainty for business is, at the end of the day, the most important thing so they can get on and do what they do best, grow the economy and employ Australians.

This bill will help restore that certainty to the EPBC Act, prevent unnecessary and unwarranted litigation and protect the ongoing rights of genuinely concerned farmers, landowners and similar parties. I commend the bill to the House.

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