ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
(COST RECOVERY) REGULATIONS 2021 — FEES
964. Hon TJORN SIBMA to the minister representing the
Minister for Environment:
I
refer to the minister's disclosure last week that the Department of
Water and Environmental Regulation has temporarily suspended charging
cost recovery fees for Environmental Protection Act, part IV, environmental
assessments.
(1) When was this decision made and
by whom?
(2) Was it not
the very purpose of implementing these cost recovery fees for the department to
recoup its operational expenses for undertaking its statutory responsibilities
during periods of high demand?
(3) If no to (2),
what is the purpose of charging cost recovery fees for environmental
assessments?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by
the Minister for Environment.
(1)–(3) The decision to temporarily suspend invoicing was
an operational decision made in the Department of Water and Environmental
Regulation. As per the response to the member's earlier question dated
12 October 2022, normal invoicing processes will resume shortly and no
government revenue will be foregone.