House debates
Thursday, 6 November 2025
Bills
Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025; Consideration in Detail
12:56 pm
Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Hansard source
I thank the member for Warringah for the issues that have been raised. I will say this: never underestimate the commitment to the environment of the backbench members of the government. Everyone comes here from a good place, and the undermining that happened towards the end of that speech—as someone who sees how hard people on the backbench work through our committee process, the caucus process and the different processes we have, I wouldn't want to leave the comment that was made uncorrected.
With respect to the issues raised by the member for Warringah concerning climate, I refer to the answer I gave previously on the amendments that were moved by the member for Bradfield.
With respect to the issues on environmental protection orders, there are strong requirements that must be met before one of these orders can be issued. The CEO of the National Environmental Protection Agency must reasonably believe a person or body corporate has or is likely to breach legislation. The EPO can only be issued where there is an imminent risk of serious damage, it's necessary to ensure future compliance or it's necessary to manage any damage. The EPO must then be revoked if the CEO reasonably believes that it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was issued or if a specified timeframe in the EPO has lapsed. An EPO must state the purposes for which the order is issued, including by giving brief details of any alleged contravention or potential contravention to which the order relates and set out the requirements imposed by the person on the order, either specifying when the order ceases to be in force or including a statement to the effect of, 'The order will remain in force until it's revoked by the CEO.' If no timeframe is included in an EPO, the CEO must revoke an environment protection order if the CEO reasonably believes that the order is no longer necessary for any of the purposes for which it was issued.
On cumulative impact, these issues are to be dealt with through the standard on matters of national environmental significance and embed landscape-scale approaches.
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