Hansard debates

Mrs McARTHUR (Western Victoria)

My constituency question is for the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, who well over a month ago signed off SR 62/2020, a statutory rule which waters down environmental protection and will make it simpler, faster and massively cheaper for West Gate Tunnel contractors to dump soil in Bacchus Marsh.

Using delegated legislation to make controversial changes undermines democracy at any time; it is borderline despotic when parliamentary mechanisms to supervise it are denied us.

This significant change came as a complete shock to all concerned. No warning was given, nor was there any publicity when the SR was made or any public explanation whatsoever as to why it was needed, what it will do and how the system it introduces will work.

Can the minister confirm that no public consultation was undertaken on the SR, and whether she personally signed an exemption declaring it unnecessary?