Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell. I refer to his upcoming decision regarding the processes to be used to assess the environmental impacts of the Traveston and Wyaralong dams in south-east Queensland. The minister has indicated in correspondence to me and to others that ‘the environmental assessment must be carried out in accordance with procedures outlined in the bilateral agreement with the Queensland government’. I ask the minister: is it not the case that section 8 of that agreement states that it does not create contractual or other legal obligations between the governments, and section 9 does not preclude an assessment being done other than one accredited by the Queensland government? Given the importance of these projects, the major consequences, the enormous public interest and the high level of public mistrust about the accuracy and completeness of the information and processes followed to date by the Queensland government, will the minister ensure a full public inquiry is held into the impacts of these projects on matters of national environmental significance, as he is empowered to do under the EPBC Act?