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Monday, 22 August 2011
Page: 4954

Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia) (10:17): Minister, thank you for humouring me and ensuring that all of that detail is clearly on the record. I want to indicate that, following discussions with Senator Xenophon, it is our intention to withdraw this amendment. Having spoken to the industry sectors involved and having got the information on the record from the minister this morning, we are of the belief that the government is intending to do the right thing by this industry. I want to make it clear once again that the last thing we want to see is a perverse outcome where projects that were early movers in the abatement of greenhouse gas emissions are somehow penalised, where projects that were early movers are facing a situation of financial disadvantage or where projects that were early movers in fact close down and we have the perverse situation that a bill designed to encourage further abatement and new abatement activities has the consequence of causing early abatement activities to cease to operate.

The industry is taking the government at their word that this process will avoid that outcome and will provide appropriate certainty for the sector. I hope that is the case. We are placing that trust in the government rather than the chamber seeking to exercise its will. We are placing that trust in the process of this legislation. We hope that that trust is not ultimately proven to be misplaced. Once again, we emphasise that this was an issue highlighted by the Senate inquiry. It is a shame that it has taken until this last moment of the legislative debate to solidify a pathway forward on it to ensure that there is some level of certainty for the sector. Hopefully, this is the end of the uncertainty and that they are able to proceed within the month knowing exactly where they stand. Hopefully, that will ensure that the projects, especially the many regional projects in the landfill gas sector, are able to continue and to be supported by this scheme, just as they were previously under a greenhouse-friendly arrangement or the New South Wales government's GGAS scheme.

I again place on the record my thanks to Senator Xenophon for his work with the coalition on this matter, to industry for making sure that we all had this matter brought to our attention and to the Greens and the government for trying to come up with an appropriate resolution. We hope that this resolution sticks and works for the benefit of industry. We will certainly be watching very closely from here.

I seek leave to withdraw the amendments.

Leave granted.