Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 615 asked in the Legislative Council on 11 June 2019 by Hon Robin Scott

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY — GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS — GUIDELINES

615. Hon ROBIN SCOTT to the Minister for Environment:

(1) Will the minister confirm that the Environmental Protection Authority has launched a 12-week consultation period to develop a replacement for greenhouse gas guidelines?

(2) Will the minister confirm that the object of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, establishing the Environmental Protection Authority, is ''to protect the environment of the state''?

(3) Will the minister confirm that the Environmental Protection Act 1986 does not mention ''carbon dioxide'', ''greenhouse gas'' or ''climate change''?

(4) Will the minister instruct the Environmental Protection Authority that it has no role in advising the government on greenhouse gas guidelines?

Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.

(1) Yes.

(2) The object of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 is to protect the environment of the state having regard to the following principles: the precautionary principle; the principle of intergenerational equity; the principle of the conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity; principles relating to improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms; and the principle of waste minimisation.

(3) Yes. The Environmental Protection Act 1986 does not mention the terms ''carbon dioxide'', ''greenhouse gas'' or ''climate change''. It provides the basis for environmental impact assessment and regulation of proposal impacts, including emissions. I am advised that the Environmental Protection Authority has been providing advice to government on greenhouse gas emissions since 1990.

(4) No. The Environmental Protection Authority is an independent statutory authority that provides recommendations to the government.