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EES Process Remains ‘Tortuous’ Despite Changes

The proposed changes to the Environment Effects (Amendment) Bill are "bitterly disappointing," according to Gippsland MP, Peter Hall.

By Peter Hall - 29th November 2005 - Back to News

The proposed changes to the Environment Effects (Amendment) Bill are "bitterly disappointing," according to Gippsland MP, Peter Hall.

The Nationals MP told Parliament during debate on the amendment that he had hoped the proposed changes would provide communities, such as those opposed to Basslink and wind farms in South Gippsland, with a better opportunity to state their case through the Environmental Effects Statement (EES) process.

"I believe the EES process is weighted heavily in favour of developers and against communities, so I think the EES process desperately warranted some major overhaul to enable better access for and participation by community members in that process," he said. "I do not think this bill achieves that in any regard whatsoever, and I am very disappointed with the outcome of the review process."

Mr Hall said some of the projects in his Gippsland electorate, such as Basslink, had involved a "tortuous planning process."

"It was a huge commitment for people to participate in it. There have been several wind farm planning processes. The Bald Hills wind farm required an EES, and then more recently there has been the Dollar wind farm application, where no EES was required.

"For the life of me I still cannot understand why in the eyes of the planning minister one required an EES and the other did not. The government has been very inconsistent with respect to those projects."

The amended bill would do nothing to resolve that issue.

"Section 8B(3) provides that, on application, a minister may look at a project and deem whether it will require an EES process or will not require an EES process, but with conditions attached," Mr Hall said.

"Again, there is no community involvement in that decision by the minister, and if the minister were to say simply that no EES was required, the minister is not required to have any regard for a community whatsoever.

"That was the case with the Dollar wind farm project; the minister said that no EES was required. Again, neither the community nor local government had a say in that; it was purely the minister who made that decision. I do not think new section 8B(3) will in any way improve access to or community participation in decision making at all."

He added that there was a need to assist people in making a submission, both morally and financially.

"Standing in front of a panel and being asked certain questions by some of the proponents is a fairly daunting experience for people, no matter who they are. For ordinary people who wish to participate there is naturally some reluctance to appear before panels to comment on reports which are highly technical in nature.

"My view has always been that local communities need some financial support to respond to these technical studies. I can tell you that in the most recent example with the Dollar wind farm planning process, the proponents flew in sound experts from London to help present their case. They had worldwide experts coming in to support their arguments. What hope did the local community have of throwing up evidence against such worldwide renowned experts?

"The local community did a fantastic job, and I am sincerely optimistic that it will win its case, but it has been a jolly long, hard, tortuous battle for the people who put hours and hours of work, effort, and research into putting forward their views."

Mr Hall expressed his frustration with the results of the long review process. "It is disappointing that after five years the government has come up with a bill of 10 pages and 10 clauses and which limits rather than improves community participation."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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