Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I have some other questions but they will come up during the discussions over the amendments. Our first amendment relates to monitoring an evaluation of the plan. The objects of the bill are actually quite comprehensive with regard to most issues. This deals with the issues around river health. We are concerned about the issues relating to collection and analysis of data. While the previous points make the responsibility of the act quite clear for managing river ecosystem health, it actually leaves out the issue around collection of information needed to undertake this management. Professor Peter Cullen pointed this out quite clearly in his evidence to the committee, so we have actually included two amendments.

One amendment provides for the regular and systematic collation, analysis and dissemination of information about that. Also, clause 3(h) is amended to include the long-term health, resilience and sustainability of Australia’s rivers, wetlands and estuaries. We want to make it crystal clear, under the objects, that information will be collected. At this stage, the bill says, ‘To provide for the collection, collation’ et cetera—I will not go into all the details—including information about Australia’s water resources and the use and management of water in Australia. That is actually different to the issues around long-term health, resilience and sustainability of Australia’s rivers, wetlands and estuaries.

The government probably does intend for that information to be collected, but it is not actually detailed in the objects of the bill. The Greens think it is much better if that is spelt out very clearly, because Australia’s water resources are different to the long-term health, resilience and sustainability of Australia’s rivers, wetlands and estuaries. We propose these amendments to make it crystal clear in the objects that that is the information that should be collected. I ask the government: why is it not clearly spelt out in the objects that that information should be collected for those issues, when, as I said, it is clear that the objects of the bill also include managing the river’s ecosystem and health?