Nicolette Boele MP: My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment. One of the first acts of this government was to approve the extension to the North West Gas Project, locking in billions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out past this century. Whenever she has made unpopular decisions in the previous term, the Minister for the Environment said she was simply following the law. Minister, you are the law. When will the pro-fossil fuel Albanese government stop gaslighting the Australian public and implement the changes it has long promised on our environmental reforms?

Minister representing the Minister for the Environment: Mr SPEAKER. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I thank the member for Bradfield and congratulate her on her election as well. The first thing to say with respect to the Northwest Shelf is there are two sets of legal provisions. There are the legal provisions that we've made on environmental law which go to a range of environmental treaties, that's their basis, and that are handled by the Minister for the Environment. And there's a series of other pieces of legislation handled by the Minister for Climate Change that make sure that we are doing what the government has said we would do with respect to emissions. The project on the North West Shelf that the member for Bradfield refers to is subjected to both. So in terms of the impact on climate change, it is subject to the safeguards mechanism. It's subject to the safeguards mechanism because it's a high emitting project. The laws that we've passed with respect to climate change apply to that project. But at the same time, when the Environment Minister considers environmental law, that's where they consider a series of other issues, including threatened species, and in this case, quite specifically, having to consider issues around heritage, and in particular, issues relating to rock art. There are specific conditions that the proposed decision, at the moment it's a proposed decision, the final decision hasn't come down. But the Environment Minister has put forward a proposed decision and with respect to the concerns about potential impact on the nearby rock art, there are strict conditions on air emissions which have been put forward in that proposed decision. So in terms of the impact on climate change, impact on climate change, it's affected by the other legislation we've put in place, and in terms of the heritage impact it's affected specifically by the EPBC Act, what's known as our environmental legislation. The member would be aware of the different things that have been said already by the government and particularly by the Environment Minister in terms of the work that the government is doing both with industry stakeholders and with environmental groups to try to make sure that we can bring environmental law reform together in this this term. That negotiation is happening, that work is happening, because at the moment, until we're able to get environmental laws that are fit for purpose, we have a situation where no-one wins, in terms of business wants to be able to make sure it can get decisions in a timely way and from the environment perspective we want to make sure we're better able to protect our precious environment and our Australian heritage. The Minister has made clear that work is being done and it's being done by the Government.