With reference to Bledisloe Boulevard and Harbourlights Way, Lots 812 and 813 which have been identified by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Queensland, as one of its upcoming significant development applications: Is the Minister aware of this development; if so:

(1)   Is the Minister aware that this development site is adjacent to the Pumicestone Passage which is subject to three environmental treaties: the Chinese Migratory Bird Agreement, the Japanese Migratory Bird Agreement and the Ramsar Convention.

(2)   Is the Government concerned that this development will drastically reduce the available bushland and mangrove swamp habitat in the north west section of the Pumicestone Passage and have a serious negative impact on the native and migratory wildlife.

(3)   Will the Minister take action on this issue using powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and ensure an environment protection and biodiversity conservation assessment is a mandatory condition on the development application of these lots.

I have been made aware by my department that this development was referred to the then Department of Environment and Heritage on 10 April 2002, as part of the North Lake and South Lake Residential Precincts at Pelican Waters, Caloundra QLD. The project was declared by a delegate of the then Minister not to be a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) on 2 May 2002. Therefore, the project required no further assessment or approval under the EPBC Act.

(1)   and 2) As part of the decision for this project a delegate for the then Minister for Environment and Heritage, considered that significant impacts to matters of national environmental significance were unlikely. Matters of national environmental significance which were considered in assessing the impacts of this project included, amongst other things, listed threatened species and communities, listed migratory species, and wetlands of international importance.

(3)   The powers of the Minister administering the EPBC Act in relation to an environmental assessment have already been exercised as described above.