Page 2580 - Week 09 - Thursday, 8 August 1991
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that make the Special Premiers Conference so important is that the Federal Constitution carried no reference to the environment. People in those days simply did not have a thought that action would be needed in the future for its protection. It is something that those people who think our Constitution should never change should think about.
The Special Premiers Conference, at its first meeting, set up a working group on environmental policy, and how sound a decision that was. It was one of the first actions that the conference took, and it demonstrates, I think, the concern that we all have in that area. The ACT is represented in the group that was established and that group is now developing proposals for further consideration.
I might add that the Australian and New Zealand Environment Council - a very important body of State Ministers and the Federal Minister - is very active in that area. It is an area to which I give high priority. I might say to the Assembly that the ACT now has a very significant role in this respect because the ACT provides the chair of ANZEC, the Australian and New Zealand Environment Council.
Mr Jensen: Congratulations, Bill. Well done.
MR WOOD: Thank you, Mr Jensen. I am now the chair of that very important conference.
Mr Kaine: Are you still going to the middle of the Nullarbor, Bill?
MR WOOD: No, we are not. I was moved to that position at a recent meeting at Kakadu, which was a long way to go and that was a source of worry for me. I must confess, also, that I was not elected to that position by virtue of my outstanding ability; it was more a matter of rotation. But I am delighted to have that position because matters affecting the environment are of great interest to me. I will make a report on that conference to the Assembly. I am sure you will be interested in hearing that.
The benefit of the Special Premiers Conference, and of ANZEC and all these intergovernmental bodies that we are now associated with, is that it brings a cooperative approach to what happens around Australia. Remember the past; the disputes, for example, in environmental matters, on the Franklin dam. For that to be settled, it required the Commonwealth to step in and use some sort of rather strange powers under foreign affairs matters.
Mr Collaery: We are going to stop woodchipping in our region, Bill.
MR WOOD: I will support you on that. The Commonwealth has the foreign affairs powers. It had to fall back on them to save the Franklin, and that is not really the best way to proceed.
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