Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Emergency Management) Share this | Hansard source

The senator asks, I think, why prime agricultural land is not presently considered a matter of national significance. I think the answer is: because these are the laws that have been in place for many decades now, arising from their passage during the Howard government era. The EPBC Act lists nine specific matters that the Commonwealth takes an interest in. It is the case that states and territories do, as I understand it, in some circumstances, consider land use planning questions, including the significance of land for agricultural purposes. That's not actually a feature of the national environment law. Obviously, should senators consider that it should be a feature, it is open for you to bring forward reforms of that kind in your capacity as senators.