RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS - Queensland Parliament ...

2314 Appropriation (Parliament) Bill; Appropriation Bill 31 Oct 2012
Do members know what the difference is? Ministers in the Newman LNP government talk to each
other. Heaven forbid, our departments talk to each other! Do members know why? We know that
through partnerships we will deliver far better outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef than the Labor Party
ever could. Another reason the agriculture minister is involved is that he knows that, by working with me,
we can deliver economic benefits to agricultural production in the Great Barrier Reef catchment while
delivering environmental outcomes.
Similarly, those opposite could not get their heads around the fact that planning sits with the
planning minister. Heaven forbid, planning sits with the planning minister! Are there environmental
responsibilities? You bet. As the environment minister I have input into coastal planning and, similarly,
protecting Cape York. The member for South Brisbane cannot understand that this government has
chosen to ensure that we get the balance right on the cape—managing economic development with
conservation, with the protection of the environment, through a statutory regional plan. Who has
responsibility for statutory regional planning? The Deputy Premier does. Does that mean that my
responsibilities are abdicated? Not at all. It means that I work alongside my cabinet colleagues to
ensure that we get the balance right.
If only I had more time to talk about mine water. The members opposite seem to think that it is
something that has only recently occurred. It occurred each and every day under the ALP Bligh Labor
government and we will continue to monitor that with the most judicious environmental standards
possible.
(Time expired)
Hon. AP CRIPPS (Hinchinbrook—LNP) (Minister for Natural Resources and Mines) (9.00 pm): I
would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight on a number of issues raised in the
Agriculture, Resources and Environment Committee report by the Labor opposition and the member for
Dalrymple. Unfortunately, much of the time set aside for questions relating to the budget for the
Department of Natural Resources and Mines was wasted by the opposition repeatedly asking questions
that related to matters outside my portfolio. That was despite the efforts of the committee chair, the
member for Lockyer, to clearly explain at the start of the estimates hearing that questions ought to relate
to the portfolio of Natural Resources and Mines only.
The clearest example of the opposition’s ignorance of portfolio responsibilities was shown by
repeated questions from the member for Bundamba regarding the release of water from mines. As I
attempted to point out to the opposition committee members on a number of occasions during the
hearing, the system whereby mines are granted permits to discharge water under environmental
authorities is managed by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. As we see in this
chamber so regularly, the opposition had simply failed to do its homework and the questions directed to
me in relation to this issue were out of order. Clearly, the truth about portfolio responsibilities ruined the
member for Bundamba’s and the member for South Brisbane’s day. The Labor members would have
been even more upset by the very detailed response in relation to the issue of mine water discharges by
my colleague the Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection later that day during his estimates
hearing.
The opposition also unsuccessfully attempted through the estimates hearing to imply that there
was undue influence exerted on the director-general of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines
with respect to a review of prosecutions and penalties under the Vegetation Management Act. The
director-general made it clear that his decision to conduct a review was based on data indicating
escalations in penalties from successful prosecutions and he was satisfied that that data warranted
further investigation. The opposition’s conspiracy theory went nowhere, leaving them bitter and twisted
and disappointed, as it did on the issue of mine safety.
The member for Bundamba questioned the Newman government’s commitment to quarantine
Mines Inspectorate staff in the Department of Natural Resources and Mines from the cost-savings
initiatives in the 2012-13 budget. Once again, I informed the member for Bundamba that there had been
no positions cut from the Mines Inspectorate that undertake the enforcement of mine safety and health
legislation in Queensland mines. In fact, I can confirm that the number of mines inspectors in
Queensland will be boosted by two inspectors within a matter of weeks as a result of the proactive
recruitment strategies employed by the mining safety and health area of the department.*
I also welcomed the opportunity provided during the estimates hearing to respond to a question
from the member for Dalrymple regarding the amount of water to be released in the Flinders and Gilbert
River catchments for the development of an irrigated agriculture industry in north-west Queensland. It is
unfortunate that the member for Dalrymple failed to see the significance of this initiative. I listened
carefully to stakeholders and announced an extension to the closing date for tenders to purchase water
under this release process. Landholders had until 5 pm on 26 October this year to submit tenders.
Where the Bligh government procrastinated, the Newman government has acted to support the
development of an irrigated agriculture industry in the north-west of this state. We have taken the
positive step of releasing all of the unallocated water available in the general reserve within the Flinders
and Gilbert River catchments in the current water resource plan for the gulf.