Page 5348 - Week 17 - Tuesday, 3 December 1991

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Clause 18

MR JENSEN (11.12): As I understand it, the Government has also agreed to my amendment No. 13. I move:

Page 10, lines 10 and 11, omit paragraphs 18(1)(a) and (b), substitute the following paragraphs:

"(a) any relevant environmental report;

(b) the report of any relevant inquiry; and

I do not think I need to make any further comment.

MR KAINE (Leader of the Opposition) (11.13): Mr Deputy Speaker, I do not support this amendment. Most of the amendments that Mr Jensen is putting forward are sensible and necessary amendments. There are some that are hardly necessary and that add nothing to the Bill, and I think this is one of them. Paragraph (b) of subclause (1) says:

the report of any relevant Inquiry.

I cannot imagine any report that would be available that was not the result of a relevant inquiry under the Act. So, what would the proposed additional paragraph add to those reports that would be submitted?

The amendment seems to me to propose an unnecessary addition that would not increase the information that would be made available. I do not really see why we are cluttering up the Bill. It is a complex and comprehensive Bill now, and I just do not see how the amendment would add anything meaningful to it. In fact, it would probably complicate the Bill. A lot of people would be running around saying, "One of these relevant reports prepared pursuant to the plan". In fact, in my view, reports are already covered under existing paragraph (b).

MR JENSEN (11.14): May I just explain for the benefit of the members. Paragraph (b) refers to Inquiry with a capital "I". An Inquiry with a capital "I", in fact, is defined in the legislation as an inquiry conducted under Division 4 of the legislation. The report referred to in my proposed paragraph (c) is the report of an internal inquiry or assessment conducted within the department. That is the difference between the two and that is why I proposed that paragraph (c) be added to the list.

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