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Wednesday, 17 August 2011
Page: 4605

Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia) (09:31): I spoke to government amendment (1) yesterday and indicated the coalition's support for it. It is, as I indicated at that time, similar or almost identical to an amendment the coalition was also proposing. This is an amendment strongly advocated by the National Farmers Federation that we have championed and that we are very pleased that the government has agreed to pick up and include. Our support for this amendment is clear and strong.

I equally highlighted yesterday that the government tabled this amendment back when the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Bill 2011 and related bills were being debated in the first week of July sittings, so the government's intention to make this amendment has been known for some time. The government, of course, has known that this amendment would pass, because it is the same amendment as the one the opposition was proposing. The govern­ment has known that the numbers were always here for this amendment to pass and therefore has known for quite a few weeks that this addition to clause 56 of the additional part (e), 'land access for agricultural production', as a consideration for the so-called negative list would pass and would become part of this bill.

Given that, I asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, noting the draft regulations for the so-called negative list that he tabled in this place yesterday—and he did not have a chance to respond at that time—what steps the government has taken to ensure that this new section for the development of these regulations has been taken into account and how and where such protection of farmland, as proposed by this new part (e), is reflected in the draft regulations the minister has tabled. I would appreciate it if he were able to inform the Senate accordingly.