Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

What we're trying to do here is find ways—and we'll work with proponents, whether they be state governments or individual companies—for their activities to avoid those sorts of significant impacts on the environment. I think, in direct answer to the question, I'm not so sure that the government, in making this decision, would consider what risks arise from not allowing an activity to happen, such as a hazard reduction burn. There are obviously criteria within the act that need to be considered when deciding whether to approve something, whether it happens or not. That's what the decisions are always based on. In this situation, one way you might be able to do that is to come to an agreement that there'd be more regular but smaller and less intense burns that may not have as dramatic an impact on threatened species as if you did one really big one. So there are ways around these things.