Page 2271 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 9 May 2012
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government does not support the proposal that certain reports prepared by the commissioner be tabled in the Assembly through the Speaker rather than the minister. This position is consistent with practice in other jurisdictions—that is, Victoria and the commonwealth.
Providing reports to the relevant minister helps promote government ownership of the final reports and provides an obligation for the government to take these reports into account. However, to promote timely release of final reports, the government will be moving an amendment proposing that the minister be required to table reports within six sitting days, rather than the current 15 sitting days which is set out in the current act.
The government will also be proposing that the minister be required to respond to a special report commissioned by the minister within six months after receiving it. This is in line with existing government responses to state of environment reports. It is sensible to bring these two different reporting arrangements into alignment.
Proposed new dictionary definitions reflect national and internationally agreed principles relating to ecologically sustainable development and intergenerational equity. Consequential amendments to other ACT legislation that will refer to the new title of Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment are also appropriate.
Canberrans place a very high value on the ACT’s reputation as the bush capital and the existence, accessibility and amenity of our natural environment. The Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment continues to play a valuable role in identifying the wide range of issues and concerns which need government action. The amendments which this bill will put in place will formalise the title of the commissioner, bring greater clarity to the role of the commissioner and create a tighter reporting regime.
I am pleased that I have been able to work with Mr Rattenbury to get an improved bill and a better operating framework for the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. I thank Mr Rattenbury and his office for their engagement on these issues, as I do too officers of my directorate. The government will support this bill in principle and will be moving the amendments that I have outlined.
MR SESELJA (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (5.08): The Canberra Liberals will not be supporting this bill. This bill purports to improve the process through which the commissioner’s reports must be tabled and responded to. I note, from the explanatory statement that was provided, it also aims to create a statutory basis for the commissioner’s recent expansion of responsibilities to encompass sustainability issues in addition to the act’s existing environmental monitoring and reporting requirements.
In support of these goals, key aspects of Mr Rattenbury’s bill include the following: amend the name of the act and the title of the commissioner to include the term “sustainability”, broaden the commissioner’s functions accordingly and require the commissioner to report on sustainability matters, require the state of the environment reports, sustainability reports and special reports to be tabled in the Assembly by the Speaker rather than the minister and be responded to within six months of being
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