Introduction
Conduct of the inquiry
Note on references
Purpose of the bills
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Overview of the Bilateral Approvals Implementation Bill
Overview of the Cost Recovery Bill

Schedule 1—Referral of controlled actions
Schedule 2—Flexibility in performing assessment of controlled actions
Schedule 3 Part 1—Amendments relating to water resources
Schedule 3 Part 2—Amendments relating to bilaterally accredited authorisation processes
Schedule 4—Minor amendments of bilateral agreements
Schedule 5—Miscellaneous amendments
Conclusion

Cost recovery proposal
Issues related to action management plan proposals
Conclusion

Conclusion

Our national environmental laws
Previous attempt to hand over approval powers
State governments cannot be trusted
Environmental standards will fall
Authorisation processes in subordinate instruments
State and Territory processes and regulatory capacity are inadequate
Potential for conflicts of interest
Local governments are wholly unsuitable
Call-in power in the draft approval bilateral agreements
Lack of evidence base to justify handing off environmental powers
Handing over the water trigger
Conclusion

Submissions
Tabled documents
Answers to questions taken on notice