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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
(Circulated by authority of the Minister for the Environment
and Heritage,
Senator the Honourable Robert Hill)
ISBN: 0642 465878
LAKE EYRE BASIN INTERGOVERNMENTAL
AGREEMENT BILL 2001
The objective of this Bill is to give Commonwealth recognition of, and
approval to, the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement (the Agreement)
between the Commonwealth, Queensland and South Australia.
The
Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator the Honorable
Robert Hill, signed the Agreement on behalf of the Commonwealth on
13
October 2000. The relevant Queensland and South Australian Ministers signed the
Agreement on behalf of their respective governments on 21 October
2000.
While not legally required for implementation of the Agreement,
Commonwealth legislation will confirm the Government’s commitment to
sustainable management of the Lake Eyre Basin and the protection of dependent
environmental and heritage values. Consistent with the provisions of the
Agreement, Commonwealth legislation will not take effect until the Queensland
and South Australian Parliaments have also passed complementary enabling
legislation.
The Bill consists of a commencement provision and a
provision to approve the Agreement, which has been incorporated as a schedule to
the Bill.
The Agreement establishes cooperative administrative and
institutional arrangements between the respective governments. These will
address issues relating to the management of cross-border river systems and
related natural resources in the Agreement Area. The Agreement Area comprises
the Cooper Creek and the Diamantina River ecosystems, including their
tributaries, catchments, floodplains, overflow channels, lakes, wetlands and
sub-artesian waters dependent on surface flows.
For this purpose, the
Agreement establishes the Lake Eyre Basin Ministerial Forum, which will comprise
one Minister each from the Commonwealth, Queensland and South Australia. The
Ministerial Forum will be responsible for the development and adoption of
policies and strategies for the integrated catchment management of water and
related natural resources associated with the cross-border river systems within
the Lake Eyre Basin Agreement Area.
The Agreement provides for the
Ministerial Forum to establish appropriate arrangements for the provision of
community and scientific advice as required.
Financial impact
statement
The Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement Bill 2001
will not have any financial impact for the Commonwealth.
NOTES ON CLAUSES
Clause 1: Short title
1 This clause provides for the
Act to be cited as the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement Act
2001.
2 This clause provides that the Commonwealth legislation will not
commence to take effect until both the Queensland and South Australian
Governments have approved and ratified the Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental
Agreement through their own, related State legislation. This is in accordance
with
sub-clause 9.1 of the Agreement.
3 This clause provides for Commonwealth recognition and support to the
Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement.
SCHEDULE 1 –
LAKE EYRE BASIN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT