Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025

Senator WATT (Queensland—Minister for the Environment and Water) (15:46): One of the other amendments that's been moved to the bill, which hasn't had quite as much attention in the media today—and I'll do my best to paraphrase it— Senator David Pocock: What number? Senator WATT: Amendment? I'll come back to you on that.

We're just trying to dig out the amendment number. As I said, I'll be paraphrasing here, but in essence what the amendment seeks to do is to give the Threatened Species Scientific Committee a role in establishing whether there are particular species that are so endangered that the environmental offsets should not occur in the form of restoration fund payments.

There would be probably a fairly small category of species, and if an offset was required then that would need to be delivered on a like-for-like project basis, as opposed to making a payment into the restoration fund. I'll come back to you with the amendment, and that will no doubt express it a lot more clearly and accurately than I have, but that's the general principle.