Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(a) The Government stands by its response to Recommendation 8 of the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, that: "Ecosystems of national significance will be identified through strategic approaches, and there will be no separate public nomination process."

(b)   As stated in the Australian Government's response to Recommendation 8 of the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: “Ecosystems of national significance will be identified, spatially defined and assessed through one of the following strategic approaches: regional environment plans, strategic assessments, or conservation agreements with the states and territories.”

As the reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 have yet to be considered by the Parliament, it would be premature to identify particular areas for consideration as ecosystems of national significance.