27 March 2008

A lot of people think the federal environment minister is the last port of call on environmental issues, but the reality is different.

Most environment decisions, if they don’t include matters that are defined in Australian law as matters of national environmental significance, are decided at the state level. It is only when a matter is seen as nationally significant that the federal minister may have some involvement. This means that even where the federal minister can get involved, that involvement will be limited to dealing with those matters of national environmental significance, as has been the case with the Gunn’s pulp mill proposal and the Port Phillip Bay channel deepening project.

With the Gunn’s pulp mill proposal, the original decision was taken by former environment minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who applied a number of conditions to the project, and for which I am now responsible.

In the case of the Port Phillip Bay project, the initial stages of the application were considered by Malcolm Turnbull. When I became Minister for the Environment, I approved rigorous conditions to matters of national environmental significance such as protection of the Ramsar wetlands, and I will ensure these conditions are met.

As someone who takes the environment very seriously, I will apply the powers of the EPBC Act fairly, firmly and transparently.

As part of Labor's commitment to improving environment protection in Australia, the Rudd Government will be reviewing the EPBC Act this year to determine whether changes should be made to improve the Act, and to ensure that it operates efficiently and effectively to protect Australia’s unique environment.