False

committee report

The committee's report was tabled on 8 November 2011.

View:   Tabled report - Report No 4 - Water and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011

 ABOUT The Bill

On 17 June 2011 the Legislative Assembly, on the motion of Ms Judy Spence MP, resolved:

That notwithstanding new Part 5 of standing orders in the amendments agreed to yesterday not commencing until 1 August 2011, that the following Bills be referred to the committees indicated, and the new process contained in new Part 5 of standing orders shall apply to those Bills –

(c) The Water and Other Legislation Amendment Bill be referred to the Environment, Agriculture, Resources and Energy Committee.

The Bill amends the Water Act 2000, the Cape York Peninsula Heritage Act 2007, the River Improvement Trust Act 1940, the Wild Rivers Act 2005, the Water Resource (Gulf) Plan 2007, the Sustainable Planning Regulation 2009 and the Water Regulation 2002. It also makes consequential or minor amendments to particular water resource plans under the Water Act 2000.

The objectives of the Bill are to:

• establish a single process framework for water planning;
• simplify economic development approvals for Indigenous communities in Cape York;
• make it easier for category 2 water authorities to transfer to alternative structures;
• entrench the Wild Rivers Rangers program in legislation;
• improve Indigenous consultation on future wild rivers declarations; and
• allow the Queensland Water Commission to recover government seed funding through a levy on petroleum tenure holders.

FAQs

Q. Does this Bill make any changes to the regulation of the Coal Seam Gas Industry in Queensland? 
A. No. The Bill deals with a discrete administrative issue – it will allow the State Government to recover funding it provided to the Queensland Water Commission to assist the Commission in its role in managing underground water impacts associated with the extraction of petroleum and gas. The Bill provides that the State Government can recover this funding by way of a levy on petroleum and gas tenure holders.

Q. Do the proposed changes to the Wild Rivers Act (Qld) remove or increase protection for Queensland’s Wild Rivers? 
A. No. This Bill only seeks to amend the Wild Rivers Act 2005 (Qld) to establish indigenous reference groups, ensuring enhanced indigenous engagement and proper remuneration for those involved. It also recognises the 40 indigenous rangers who are already working in North Queensland, ensuring security of employment for the rangers.

The Water and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 and Explanatory Notes to the Bill are available from the Office of the Queensland Parliamentary Counsel website.

The former Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Kate Jones MP, introduced the Bill on 16 June 2011. Her second reading speech can be downloaded from the Parliament’s website.

TIMELINE

On 7 September, the Committee of the Legislative Assembly amended the reporting date from 19 December to 8 November 2011 in accordance with standing order 136(1).

Public briefing:  3 August 2011 - Synopsis

Public hearing:  12 October 2011 - Proof Transcript