The SPEAKER ( Hon. Milton Dick ) took the chair at 10:00, made an acknowledgement of country and read prayers.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PETITIONS COMMITTEE
REPORT No. 7
Petitions and Ministerial Responses
20 March 2023
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
Chair Ms Susan Templeman MP
Deputy Chair Mr Ross Vasta MP
Mr Sam Birrell MP
Ms Alison Byrnes MP
Ms Lisa Chesters MP
Mr Garth Hamilton MP
Ms Tracy Roberts MP
Ms Meryl Swanson MP
Report summarising the petitions and Ministerial responses being presented.
The committee met in private session in the 47th Parliament on 8 February 2023, 15 February 2023 and 8 March 2023.
1. The committee resolved to present the following 18 p etitions in accordance with standing order 207:
From 407 petitioners—requesting that Trove is kept as a free and open service to all Australians (EN4755)
From 5 petitioners—requesting the temporary postponement of implementation of revised pet import regulations (EN4756)
From 12 petitioners—requesting the electrification of Australia's freight lines (EN4759)
From 489 petitioners—requesting that Trove be fully funded (EN4761)
From 14 petitioners—requesting military support for Ukraine (EN4763)
From 17 petitioners—requesting the appointment of independent board members to Screen Australia (EN4764)
From 3 petitioners—requesting removal of requirements on student and work visas (EN4765)
From 39 petitioners—requesting to change the national anthem to We Are Australian (EN4766)
From 36 petitioners—requesting parliamentary debate prior to the indigenous voice-to-parliament referendum (EN4769)
From 8 petitioners—requesting that people are allowed to donate money to the Commonwealth of Australia (EN4772)
From 26 petitioners—requesting a change of Australia Day to the last Friday of January (EN4773)
From 69 petitioners—requesting a ban on companies who have convictions for illegal research (EN4775)
From 83 petitioners—requesting a freeze on land and businesses being bought by foreign entities (EN4776)
From 68 petitioners—requesting a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children (EN4778)
From 182 petitioners—requesting a change to the 491 visa (EN4780)
From 47 petitioners—requesting cancellation of the cashless debit card (EN4783)
From 5506 petitioners—requesting permanent residency for those who came by boat 2012-2014 (EN4784)
From 2897 petitioners—requesting continuing funding for "sealing the hills" project (EN4785)
2. The following 30 ministerial responses to petitions were received by the Committee on 8 March 2023:
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting Australians overseas to be allowed their constitutional right to return to Australia (EN2343)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting the return of stranded citizens (EN2645)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting to stop criminalisation of Australians seeking to return from India (EN2648)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting to bring stranded Australians home (EN2653)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting to repatriate Australians in India back to their home (EN2664)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting help reunite Australian families (EN2867)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting assistance to vaccinate Australians in Vietnam (EN2956)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting to bring home stranded Australians (EN2960)
From the Minister for Health and Aged Care to a petition requesting help for Australia to mask up (EN3001)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting to bring vulnerable Australian citizens home from Indonesia (EN3014)
From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition regarding Rohullah Hussaini's Afghan family (EN3265)
From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition requesting the Murugappan family to return home to Biloela (EN3462)
From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting to ban gambling advertising in media (EN3559)
From the Minister for Communications to a petition regarding pictures of children in the news media (EN3767)
From the Minister for Government Services to a petition regarding a Royal Commission for gaslighting victims working for Services Australia (EN3925)
From the Minister for Social Services to a petition requesting new legislation regarding cost of living for Centrelink payments (EN3957)
From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition regarding PR visas for parents (EN3960)
From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition requesting the cancellation of visas for Russian Duma members (EN4031)
From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting to ban the use of all sirens by radio advertisements (EN4036)
From the Minister for Communications to a petition requesting the release of FM licences in the Ballarat LAP (EN4049)
From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition regarding the lack of a functioning computer system at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (EN4186)
From the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs to a petition regarding smoking within the MITA compound and buildings (EN4187)
Regarding regulation of the sale of helium and releasing of helium filled balloons (EN4351)
From the Minister for Defence to a petition requesting to name the new class of Australian Submarines Rainbow Warriors (EN4515)
From the Attorney-General to a petition requesting to hold the IRGC accountable for the death of Mahsa-Amini (EN4540)
From the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury to a petition regarding the mandated use of USB-C charging ports by manufacturers (EN4545)
From the Minister for Veterans' Affairs to a petition regarding reductions to the DFRDB scheme (EN4548)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition requesting urgent action towards the Islamic Republic of Iran (EN4571)
From the Minister for Social Services regarding an income test exemption for Disability Support Pension recipients due to vaccine injury (EN4578)
From the Minister for Foreign Affairs to a petition regarding human rights violations in Pakistan (EN4621)
Ms Susan Templeman MP
Chair—Petitions Committee
Fair Work Amendment (Right to Disconnect) Bill 2023
That this bill be now read a second time.
… is especially burdensome for working carers who already juggle competing demands on their time. Being expected to work outside core or rostered hours interrupts their availability to provide informal care and reduces their already limited opportunities to participate in other activities such as study, leisure or rest.
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the Government's $3 billion in funding in the 2022 October budget for the infrastructure that residents of New South Wales need, including:
(a) $40 million to upgrade roads across the Central Coast;
(b) $400 million for the New Richmond Bridge;
(c) $17.4 million for upgrades to Brindabella Road;
(d) $50 million to plan for the Castlereagh Connection; and
(e) $12.5 million for upgrades to Blue Mountains roads;
(2) notes this funding will make journeys quicker, and make sure residents of New South Wales can get home to their families safely, and comes after a decade of neglect for New South Wales infrastructure by the former Government; and
(3) thanks the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government and the Prime Minister for working to deliver for New South Wales.
That this House:
(1) recognises that:
(a) the Government has set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050; and
(b) Australia's agriculture sector currently generates 16 per cent of Australia's national emissions;
(2) notes that climate change represents a serious and present threat to the Australian agricultural sector's continued productivity and profitability, including on the international market;
(3) further recognises that:
(a) the Government is continuing to support a carbon market through the use of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), including under the Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Bill 2022;
(b) the Government is encouraging farmer participation in new markets including the:
(i) ACCUs market, via programs such as the Carbon Farming Outreach Program; and
(ii) biodiversity credit market through the proposed Nature Repair Market Bill; and
(c) Australia's agriculture sector may need to retain their own credits for carbon in-setting, in order to comply with international trade requirements that will require farmers to address their own emissions;
(4) further notes that agricultural extension officers have historically played an important role in translating science into practice for Australia's agricultural sector; and
(5) calls on the Government to do more to encourage farmers to deploy low-emissions technologies and practices, and participate in carbon and biodiversity markets, by:
(a) providing ongoing and increased investment in agricultural and climate science research and development, including in accurate measurement of soil carbon and nutritional additives to reduce methane emissions in livestock;
(b) funding a network of 200 context-specific, trusted and neutral agricultural extension officers through providers such as Natural Resource Management or Landcare organisations to provide educational outreach services and advice on technology, products and practices that will help farmers lower their emissions and subsequently participate in new carbon and biodiversity markets; and
(c) allowing farmers to certify their products as net-zero through a dedicated carbon neutral certification standard for farms through the ClimateActive initiative which would help farmers access price premiums for their products and protect their access to overseas markets.
That this House:
(1) notes that the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee tabled its report into the human rights implications of recent violence in Iran on 1 February 2023;
(2) acknowledges that submissions to the inquiry overwhelmingly called for the Government to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation;
(3) recognises that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps poses a threat to Australia's national security and the security of Australians at home and abroad, especially the Iranian-Australian community;
(4) further notes that Australia's international partners have taken or are taking steps to categorise the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, including the United States of America and the United Kingdom; and
(5) calls on the Government to urgently take the necessary steps to formally categorise the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as an organisation involved in supporting and facilitating terrorism.
This submission is confidential as I have concerns regarding the wellbeing of my family members who are still living in Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran has a well-known history of harassing, arresting and torturing family members of any Iranians who dare criticise the brutality of the regime.
This is an opportunity for a country like Australia that respects human rights to support the oppressed and persecuted in Iran.
The Attorney-General's Department is of the view that, as an organ of a nation state, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is not the kind of entity that is covered by the terrorist organisation provision in the Criminal Code.
While an entire organisation or its government cannot constitute a terrorist organisation under Australian law, there is no reason why a discrete agency of a government, with its own constitution and organisational structure, cannot be designated as such.
The Revolutionary Guards is an institution under the Leader's supreme command. Its goal is to protect Iran's Islamic Revolution and its achievements and persistently struggle to achieve the divine aims, spread the … law of God …
The IRGC has a stated policy of 'exporting the revolution' beyond Iran's borders, and this has led to its sponsorship of a number of Islamist proxies in other parts of the Middle East, many of which have been designated terror organisations by Australia and its Western allies.
… that the Australian Government take the necessary steps to formally categorise the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as an organisation involved in supporting and facilitating terrorism.
Listing the IRGC as a terror organisation would enable Australian law enforcement to prohibit anyone in Australia from sending funds or other support to the IRGC … It would also better enable Australia to deny visas to IRGC members, many of whom are known to have studied in Australian universities in the past, and to prevent IRGC members from gaining residency or citizenship.
Work Health and Safety Amendment Bill 2022
Paid Parental Leave Amendment (Improvements for Families and Gender Equality) Bill 2023
Higher Education Support Amendment (Australia's Economic Accelerator) Bill 2022
Ministers of State Amendment Bill 2022
This is totally unacceptable, for a prime minister to behave in this manner undermines everything that a federal government constitutionally should stand for.
Given what we've heard, it's not surprising that I wasn't told about it.
It's not okay to behave in the way the former prime minister and others have in relation to keeping information secret.
… you generally don't have the luxury of saying no.
It's not OK to behave in the way the former prime minister and others have in relation to keeping information secret.
I don't think he should have done that., I don't think there was any need to do it, and I wouldn't have.
I'm just not going to defend what was done. … it was just highly unconventional, highly unorthodox and shouldn't have happened.
This is sinister stuff. This is a secret government.… this is one of the most appalling things I have ever heard of in our federal government. I mean, the idea that a prime minister would be sworn int o other ministries, secretly, is incredible.
I don't think he should have done that, I don't think there was any need to do it, and I wouldn't have.
I'm just not going to defend what was done … it is just highly unconventional, highly unorthodox and shouldn't have happened.
This is a sinister stuff. This is secret government. This is one of the most appalling things I have ever heard in our federal government. I mean, the idea that a Prime Minister would be sworn in to other ministries secretly is incredible.
Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill 2022
This is highly problematic because unlimited use of offsets will simply encourage carbon accounting to cover up pollution-as-usual. The design of the Safeguard Mechanism should prioritise genuine emissions reduction, because tackling harmful climate change means Australia's emissions must shrink rapidly this decade.
We know the pressures that the international situation and supply chains are putting on inflation and … subsequently interest rates.
… nobody wants to see interest rates go up, but it's a reality of a world where there's inflation.
It is very clear that the world has changed dramatically even in the past few months …
We've seen a rapid shift to an inflationary environment.
Interest rates are bucking decades of downward trends.
Forward contract prices for 2023-24 have fallen substantially since governments began discussing possible interventions in gas and coal markets in October 2022 …
Private Health Insurance (National Joint Replacement Register Levy) Amendment (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2022
Private Health Insurance (Prostheses Application and Listing Fees) Amendment (Cost Recovery) Bill 2022
Private Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Medical Device and Human Tissue Product List and Cost Recovery) Bill 2022
Safeguard Mechanism (Crediting) Amendment Bill 2022
But without policy certainty and policy realism, we run the risk of another five to 10 years of delay and inaction.
We support the reform Safeguard Mechanism's objectives to achieve a net zero emissions economy which delivers new industries, new exports, new jobs, new opportunities and better living standards.
We want this mechanism to work as it's important to industrial investment and emissions reduction.
The Federal Government's reform of the Safeguard Mechanism is a critical opportunity to deliver the right policy settings to help future-proof industries, protect Australian manufacturing, and reduce harmful carbon pollution.
The current model-based estimation of carbon sequestration using FullCAM is a suitable basis for estimating aggregate carbon storage in native vegetation, when applied appropriately at the project level.
Future users should not be allowed to take groundwater supply from the zone impacted by the plume (Precipice Sandstone aquifer). This should include a zone around the impacted area from which water might be extracted by a well installed outside of the immediate residual impact zone.
Past failure to deal with this reality has crimped certainty for industry and investors, and left our energy sector in disarray. Australian businesses and households are now paying the price.
This is the best way to secure the planning, investment and innovation that will underpin the decarbonisation of our economy without sacrificing reliability or affordability.
… climate change … is one of the leading contemporary issues facing our country and our world. It is important, though, to remember that when we are talking about climate change it is not just about the climate. It is about the environment. It is about the local environment—the parks, the waterways, the green spaces and biodiversity.
This is the best way to secure the planning, investment and innovation that will underpin the decarbonisation of our economy without sacrificing reliability or affordability.
Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press …
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Claydon ) took the chair at 10:30.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) climate change will cause irreversible damage to Australia's unique ecosystem;
(b) communities across Australia are experiencing the impacts of more severe natural disasters attributable to climate change;
(c) action on climate change is beneficial both environmentally and economically;
(d) delaying action will lead to lost opportunities for Australia and worsening climate impacts;
(e) the hydrogen industry will be a key component of the transition to a low-emissions economy, and could add $50 billion to Australia's gross domestic product and support 16,000 jobs by 2050; and
(f) the former Government's lack of policy certainty on energy and climate change led to a wasted decade;
(2) acknowledges that:
(a) the Government's legislated emissions reduction targets of 43 per cent by 2030, and net-zero by 2050 provide certainty for investment in low emissions technology;
(b) the establishment of a Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) will drive the uptake of new renewable dispatchable capacity and support the Government's target of 82 per cent renewable energy in the electricity grid by 2030;
(c) Australia has signed the Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030; and
(d) the Government has continued to invest in Australia's hydrogen industry and has fostered international partnerships to establish Australia as a major hydrogen exporter; and
(3) recognises that:
(a) climate action is important to Australia's Pacific neighbours; and
(b) the Australian people voted for greater action on climate change and the Government is delivering.
action on climate change is beneficial both environmentally and economically;
… a classic illustration of how if we are only prepared to plan five years, 10 years, 15 years or 20 years down the track all the dangers that are feared can be avoided.
We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.
… we're moving from thinking of disasters as a single event … to multiple record-setting events happening simultaneously … and those multiple simultaneous events are causing systemic changes.
These risks can cascade and lead to food insecurity, instability and even conflict.
That this House:
(1) notes that the Government:
(a) has failed to admit that the headline aged care promises they made to older Australians and their families, at the 2022 election, are negatively impacting aged care homes across Australia; and
(b) has blatantly ignored the Opposition's concerns that their expedited timeframe for aged care staffing requirements could force aged care homes to close because they cannot access staff, and cause older Australians from rural and regional Australia to travel miles away from their community to receive support; and
(2) further notes that:
(a) the University of Technology Sydney Ageing Research Collaborative report released in 2022 confirms that the Government's expedited requirements for aged care facilities will see homes closed down and older Australians abandoned;
(b) documents from the Department of Health and Ageing, recently released under freedom of information, reveal that 14,626 new workers and nurses will be required in 2023-24 and 25,093 the year after; and
(c) less than five per cent of the surveyed aged care homes currently have the required direct care workforce needed to fulfil the requirements that will be placed on them;
(3) acknowledges that the Government has failed to provide adequate support to assist aged care providers with the significant pressure of preparing for these incoming additional requirements in the midst of serious workforce shortages; and
(4) condemns the Government for making promises to older Australians and their families that it knows cannot be delivered.
… older people in residential aged care will have access to a registered nurse 24 hours, 7 days a week.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) March is Endometriosis Awareness Month;
(b) endometriosis is a progressive, chronic condition that can start at puberty and continue beyond menopause; and
(c) endometriosis affects one in nine Australian women and girls;
(2) acknowledges that the Government is addressing endometriosis at a national level via the National Plan for Endometriosis, which includes:
(a) $8.57 million for awareness and education;
(b) $49.65 million for clinical management and care; and
(c) $28.97 million for research; and
(3) congratulates the many endometriosis patients, their families, organisations and health sector leaders for their continued advocacy on endometriosis awareness and education.
What I want our new parliament to achieve is tangible progress to support change in endometriosis treatments … research into cutting-edge treatments recognising genetic markers—
… education programs to support young people to spot the signs of gynaecological diseases.
That this House:
(2) acknowledges:
(a) the release of the myGov User Audit, which stated that the previous Government's investment in the platform was 'well-crafted and implemented' and 'put in place much needed building blocks for a better myGov';
(b) that there has only been a single gathering of the Data and Digital Ministers' Meeting since the election of this Government;
(c) the previous Government's efforts to progress the implementation of digital identity by introducing the Trusted Digital Identity Bill 2021; and
(d) that the myGov User Audit calls on the Government to 'urgently' legislate on a national identity framework; and
(3) calls on the Government to prioritise digital transformation across Services Australia and national digital identity, making service delivery safer, simpler and more seamless.
New approaches, such as digital technologies and the better use of data (through artificial intelligence, for example) hold great promise for broadly based productivity gains, including in services.
…the uplift in online capacity (among both businesses and households) combined with a broader embrace of the innovative potential of digital technology, can transform the way the economy operates—services in particular—with significant productivity benefits.
Past failures to adequately address three systemic issues have undermined delivery of high quality, citizen-centric services:
a. the structure and responsibilities of government do not encourage agencies to join up services for Australians
b. myGov has been funded, planned and governed as a standard IT project, instead of essential national infrastructure
c. 'Fixing myGov' means also fixing things beyond myGov, including the quality of broader government digital, telephone and face-to-face services.
School principals are 11 times more likely to be subjected to physical violence than the average Australian, and nearly half have reported being assaulted by parents or students …
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) yourtown has been providing vital services for young people across Australia since 1961, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing, long-term unemployment, prevention of youth suicide, child protection, as well as support for those experiencing domestic and family violence;
(b) for over 30 years yourtown has been providing free professional counselling and support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for children and young people aged five to 25 in Australia, through its Kids Helpline service;
(c) Kids Helpline is the critical safety net for children and young people needing mental health support and is often the only mental health service available after hours, or for those living in rural and remote areas;
(d) Kids Helpline's provision of professional, free counselling support ensures equality for all children and young people, regardless of their location or circumstances; and
(e) in the 2021-22 financial year, Kids Helpline was contacted directly by over 443,000 children and young people from across Australia, with millions more using resources and content across multiple channels;
(2) recognises that:
(a) the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated communication and social issues for young people;
(b) Kids Helpline experienced a significant surge in calls for support during lockdowns;
(c) for the first time in its over 30-year history, more than 50 per cent of callers now require counselling, when previously they were referred on to external supports; and
(d) demand for Kids Helpline service remains high and now exceeds capacity; and
(3) calls on:
(a) all Members of Parliament to continue to raise awareness of the important services available to young people through Kids Helpline 24/7, by calling 1800 55 1800 or online through kidshelpline.com.au; and
(b) the Government to support further growth in Kids Helpline's services, in order to meet the ever increasing demand for support.
My parents divorced and it changed my life, and not for the better. I was forced to stay at my dad's house. He was never there. It hurt because he just couldn't be bothered with me. I failed nearly all my assessment pieces, all I felt was stress, stress, stress!
… I realised that I'm not the only person suffering. I realised that there are people out there willing to help me. Thanks to Kids Helpline, I'm smiling heaps more than I used to!
Many more months and attempts on my life later, I was at my lowest point. This is when I made a more serious attempt on my life, which was traumatic for everyone involved.
Even though I am still struggling a lot with my feelings and thoughts, I wanted to say that, no matter what you are going through you deserve help, you deserve love and you're worth it.
I talked to a really nice counsellor from Kids Helpline who supported me when things were really bad. I've also been able to work things out with my parents and we get along much better now. We still live apart but it's much better than it was.
That this House:
(1) notes:
(a) the Australian community is justifiably dismayed at the collapse of REDcycle's return-to-store soft plastics recovery program, with reports that over 12,400 tonnes of plastics were found in warehouses in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a quantity of which has degraded to an extent that it is not suitable for reprocessing and will end up in landfill;
(b) a statement made by the former Government Minister for the Environment in 2020, who said Australians want to be 'confident that when they put things in their recycling bin, or deliver them to a collection centre, they will be repurposed effectively, and not dumped in landfill or simply sent overseas';
(c) the Australian community's concern about the significant harm caused by plastics pollution to marine life, including by the proliferation of microplastics;
(d) that only 16 per cent of plastic packaging was recycled or composted in Australia in 2019-20 whereas the 2018 National Packaging Target is for 70 per cent of plastic packaging to be recycled or composted by 2025; and
(e) that plastic packaging only contains 3 per cent recycled content, whereas the National Packaging Target is for plastics to contain 20 per cent average recycled content by 2025; and
(2) acknowledges the Government's commitment to addressing the woeful state of plastic recycling through:
(a) an agreement with state and territory environment ministers to reform the regulation of plastic packaging by 2025;
(b) the provision of $60 million in the October 2022 budget for state-of-the-art advanced recycling solutions for hard-to-recycle plastics, as part of the $250 million Recycling Modernisation Fund;
(c) the creation of the Soft Plastics Taskforce which is now taking steps to reinstate plastics collection systems;
(d) the establishment of a national taskforce on the circular economy to reduce waste and pollution, improve product design, and transition to a more circular economy; and
(e) timely membership of the High Ambition Coalition for an international treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040 and signing the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment.
A previously unknown disease in seabirds caused by the ingestion of plastic has been found on Lord Howe Island by scientists from the United Kingdom and Australia.
Named plasticosis, the newly classified disease is caused by plastic that repeatedly injures soft tissue and leads to the formation of extensive scar tissue in a bird's stomach.
In F22 REDcycle recycled 4,608 tonnes of plastic through Woolworths Supermarkets across Australia, a 58% growth on previous year.
Since the REDcycle program began, more than 2.4 billion pieces (9,675 tonnes) of flexible plastic have been returned to our supermarkets across Australia. The soft plastic is converted into a range of products including playground furniture, supermarket trolleys, fence posts and as a base for roads.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the October 2022 budget contained an undisclosed amount intended for water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin, and that confirmation of the Government's intention to recommence buybacks has already had an impact on the water market;
(b) the country's largest water broker, Adelaide-based Waterfind, issued and then withdrew, an expression of interest for Commonwealth buybacks;
(c) water entitlement holders have withdrawn from the market to wait for the expected premium when the Government enters the market;
(d) a 2018 agreement reached by Australia's water ministers guarantees that positive, or neutral, socio-economic outcomes must be demonstrated for approval of any further recovery of Murray-Darling Basin environmental water;
(e) the Government is ignoring expert reports and is pursuing a timeline for completion of the Murray-Darling Basin plan and buybacks which will cause economic and social harm in Basin communities; and
(f) the Government is ignoring former Prime Minister Julia Gillard's stated position on the additional 450 gigalitres when she announced with the then Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, that it would only be recovered via water recovery projects that minimise the impact on communities, to ensure there is no social and economic downside for communities;
(2) acknowledges that Murray-Darling Basin communities have already done the heavy lifting on the recovery of water for the environment and any further recovery should be done in a manner that does not deliver more social and economic harm to those communities; and
(3) calls on the Government to extend the timeline for completion of the Murray-Darling Basin plan and work with Basin communities on projects to recover further water for the environment in a manner that has a neutral or positive socio-economic impact.
That this House:
(1) notes that:
(a) forestry destroyed or degraded 40,000 hectares of Australian public native forests in 2020, and each year releases an estimated 30 MtCO2-e of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to around 6 per cent of Australia's emissions;
(b) logging destroys and damages the habitat of numerous threatened species, while Regional Forestry Agreements exempt logging from classification as Matters of National Environmental Significance under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 ; and
(c) logging dries out forests (increasing their vulnerability to bushfires), reduces water quality in rivers and dams by causing sediment erosion, and threatens regional tourism businesses by degrading the natural resource base;
(2) recognises the need:
(a) to rapidly end the logging of Australian public native forests; and
(b) for structural adjustment funding to support the transition to plantations and manufactured wood products; and
(3) calls on the Government to take its international responsibilities to respond to the nature and climate crises seriously, and lead the nation in ending industrial native forest logging.