Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Bill 2020 (the principal bill) will establish a national framework for the consistent management of risks to the environment from industrial chemicals.

The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Charge (General) Bill 2020 (the general charges bill) is one of three bills that establish cost recovery mechanisms to recover the costs of effective administration of the scheme established under the principal bill.

The general charges bill would provide a framework for applying cost recovery charges, in so far as the charge is neither a duty of customs nor a duty of excise. It will do so by allowing relevant charges to be prescribed by regulations.

The general charges bill does not itself set the amount of the charges and will not impose any financial impacts. The charges will be set in regulations.

The Morrison government will undertake a comprehensive consultation process with affected businesses, in developing a cost recovery implementation statement, before imposing any charges.

Any charges will be developed in accordance with the Australian Government Charging Framework, which provides that the amount charged will not be more than the likely cost of delivering the activity.

This package of bills will ensure that transparent and fair cost recovery mechanisms are in place for administering the industrial chemicals risk management framework established by the principal bill.

Debate adjourned.

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