❓ Mr. Tallentire questions the Minister for Environment about alleged misuse of the Department of Environment Regulation as a source of revenue and a budget shortfall due to uncollected fees. The Minister denies a direct connection between the waste levy and environmental assessment fees.
AnsweredQoN 798Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT REGULATION — ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT AND COMPLIANCE AUDITS
798. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister
for Environment :
I refer the Minister for Environment
to revelations in the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations
hearings that he is allowing the Treasurer to use his Department of Environment
Regulation as a cash cow to prop up his shaky budget.
(1) Is it true
the minister has a budget black hole of almost $4 million this year because he
has booked the revenue from introducing fees for environmental impact
assessments and compliance audits, but has not made the legislative
arrangements to collect the revenue?
(2) Who made the
decision to divert the landfill levy and introduce fees for environmental
assessments and audits—the minister or the Treasurer?
ASSESSMENT AND COMPLIANCE AUDITS
798. Mr C.J. TALLENTIRE to the Minister
for Environment :
I refer the Minister for Environment
to revelations in the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations
hearings that he is allowing the Treasurer to use his Department of Environment
Regulation as a cash cow to prop up his shaky budget.
(1) Is it true
the minister has a budget black hole of almost $4 million this year because he
has booked the revenue from introducing fees for environmental impact
assessments and compliance audits, but has not made the legislative
arrangements to collect the revenue?
(2) Who made the
decision to divert the landfill levy and introduce fees for environmental
assessments and audits—the minister or the Treasurer?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
think the member for Gosnells is drawing a connection between two rather
separate incidents. I think the member is referring to the upper house
estimates hearings, which were explored recently —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire : It's in here —
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : That hearing dealt more specifically with the waste levy
hypothecation, and that has been legislated for a long time. A percentage of
that waste levy is specifically targeted towards waste.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I am trying to orient myself, because the member raised two
disparate points. The issues that came up in the Legislative Council's
estimates committee hearings dealt specifically with the waste levy. It has
been the practice for a long time that a certain legislated leftover amount of
the waste levy is hypothecated back into consolidated revenue. That has been in
place for a long time. The environmental impact assessment process and the cost
recovery process of the Environmental Protection Authority is not a new thing;
in fact, it was in the budget in the previous year. It has been explored and
there is ongoing work. We explored that to a very large degree —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : — in the committee hearing, and there will be ongoing
work on that.
think the member for Gosnells is drawing a connection between two rather
separate incidents. I think the member is referring to the upper house
estimates hearings, which were explored recently —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire : It's in here —
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : That hearing dealt more specifically with the waste levy
hypothecation, and that has been legislated for a long time. A percentage of
that waste levy is specifically targeted towards waste.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I am trying to orient myself, because the member raised two
disparate points. The issues that came up in the Legislative Council's
estimates committee hearings dealt specifically with the waste levy. It has
been the practice for a long time that a certain legislated leftover amount of
the waste levy is hypothecated back into consolidated revenue. That has been in
place for a long time. The environmental impact assessment process and the cost
recovery process of the Environmental Protection Authority is not a new thing;
in fact, it was in the budget in the previous year. It has been explored and
there is ongoing work. We explored that to a very large degree —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr
A.P. JACOB : — in the committee hearing, and there will be ongoing
work on that.
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