Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

The legislation we are debating is designed to deal with issues in relation to, as I said before, the granting of exploration permits. You missed out in your presentation just then the requirement for management plans in each of those zones that are set up. The bill is not designed to look at those things; it is designed to deal with the issues of exploration permits, retention leases, production licences et cetera and other legislation that the government has, including the EPBC Act. If there were a prospect of any exploration in a marine zone, that would be one of the triggers for the environmental processes and the EPBC Act. It is not designed to be doing the same thing. That is what we are saying and that is why we are saying that the amendments that you are proposing are not required, because they are looking at two completely different things.