TERMS OF REFERENCE
38th PARLIAMENT
COMMONWEALTH ENVIRONMENT POWERS INQUIRY
On 26 March 1997 the Senate resolved that the following matters be referred
to the Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts References
Committee for inquiry and report by the last sitting day in February 1998:
(a) the powers of the Commonwealth in environmental protection and ecologically-sustainable
development in Australia, including an examination of case studies;
(b) the practicality, adequacy and application of existing Commonwealth
mechanisms, including legislation, to promote the national interest in
the protection of natural and cultural heritage and to achieve compliance
with the principles of ecologically-sustainable development, with particular
reference to:
(i) implementing Australia's obligations under international treaties
and conventions, in particular, the Ramsar Convention and the World
Heritage Convention,
(ii) the National Reserve System and the consistency of management
regimes for reserves created under the National Reserve System program,
(iii) environmental impact assessment in or near areas of high conservation
value in which the Commonwealth has an interest, and the consistency
of guidelines for assessment processes between all levels of government,
(iv) export controls,
(v) the use of the corporations power,
(vi) the Endangered Species Protection Act,
(vii) the Inter-Governmental Agreement on the Environment, and
(viii) the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development;
and
(c) the most appropriate balance of powers and responsibilities between
Commonwealth, State and local levels of government and mechanisms for
implementation of treaties, conventions and national strategies to ensure
consistency between all levels of government in environmental protection.
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