TOM CONNELL, HOST: Joining me now is Assistant Health and Aged Care Minister Rebecca White. Thank you for your time. So, we've heard a lot from Labor - more gas is needed to firm renewables and is part of the transition, but it can't be fast-tracked under these laws. Why not?
REBECCA WHITE, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING: Well, as you know, changing our broken environment laws and improving them has been a big feature of our Government's agenda and we've delivered that. If these laws are successfully passed through the Parliament, which we're hoping they will be, it provides greater certainty for businesses who are undertaking investment in key projects, but also protections for our environment.
We've secured the passage of this legislation with the support of the Greens because the Coalition weren't able to compromise and, ultimately, we need to be able to work together to ensure that we get these reforms through. There's still clear pathways for projects, whether it's those renewable projects or coal and gas projects, but there's also clear protections for the environment. And that's the balance we were always going to strike.
CONNELL: Always going to strike, but is it fair to say you would have preferred to have a fast tracking of gas projects, but because the Greens are the party you dealt with, that wouldn't happen? Is that - in terms of intent versus the reality?
WHITE: What we wanted was a clear pathway for projects to be assessed under. The environment laws are broken, and we've seen the impact on that for projects, they've been trying to get certainty. And certainly we've seen projects that have been delayed for a very long time.
What we have been able to achieve is a clear pathway for projects to go through. And we heard the Prime Minister speak in the Parliament earlier through Question Time about the fact that the minerals, energy companies and councils and peak bodies are saying, this is welcome development. It gives them certainty. It makes sure that we get the balance right. It protects those key elements of the environment that Australians expect us to protect. But it's about reducing that uncertain environment because the laws have been broken.
CONNELL: But several of those, since the deal has been announced today, have said their concern is not being able to fast-track, including those gas projects. Is that something you'd still look at in the future if you found those projects were getting delayed? You could perhaps move an amendment on that aspect, is that something you're looking at?
WHITE: I think what we'll find is that projects progress much more quickly through this new planning regime than what they've been doing. Status quo is not appropriate for anybody - it's not appropriate for environment groups, it’s not appropriate for business groups. It's not been working. What we have now is a significant improvement.
CONNELL: But that particular aspect, the fast-tracking of gas, is that still on your radar or this this is sort of, no, this took a long time to get, we're one and done here?
WHITE: This is the deal we've been able to strike. There is a review mechanism in five years' time. What we want to do is provide certainty and that's what this bill does. People who are making significant decisions like this need to know the landscape and what it looks like into the future. You can't go changing it every couple of months.
CONNELL: Labor has spoken about having no more species become extinct. In terms of reviewing projects, would these laws have any changes - for example, what would it mean if the Tasmanian salmon farming was found to pose an unacceptable risk to the Maugean skate? Would these laws be able to apply to reassess that, even though that project's already approved or not?
WHITE: That project's already been approved. My understanding is that it can't be reassessed because the approval's been provided for it. Those laws were dealt with by the Minister in previous legislation.
CONNELL: And there's no - these laws don't change that in any way, so that's still done.
WHITE: No, it's the law.
CONNELL: If the skate does seem to be in more trouble than predicted, then so be it?
WHITE: Well, on that particular point, we've invested over $37 million in a project to re-oxygenate the water there and also the captive breeding program. So we are looking after that particular species on the north and west coast of Tasmania. So we are certainly very determined to make sure we don't see species loss, and where we can make an intervention to protect species, we will do so. And I think we've demonstrated that when it comes to the west coast of Tasmania.
CONNELL: Okay. There was pretty full-throttled support from the PM on the new stadium in Hobart. Is that how you feel as well? Are you hoping this passes?
WHITE: That is a matter for the Tasmanian Government and the Tasmanian Parliament. People across the country will be interested to know, so next week it goes to a vote of the Upper House. It's been supported with the support of Labor in the Lower House of the Parliament. It goes to the Upper House for a vote. The Tasmanian Government decided the Tasmanian Parliament would be the planning authority for this project. The PM's been clear he wants to see it progress. The Federal Government's got money on the table there and the State Labor Party's very supportive of it.
CONNELL: So, but you have no view, you're staying at arm's length?
WHITE: I'm a member of the Government and I support the investment.
CONNELL: You do support it?
WHITE: Yes.
CONNELL: So you're hoping they vote yes on it?
WHITE: The money is tied to developing the stadium, the precinct, the wharf, the housing development, all of the activities that we want to see happen at Macquarie Point. It's a project that's been on the table for a long time now. It's up to the Tasmanian Parliament and those independent members to decide which way they vote. The Labor Party will be voting for it.
CONNELL: Do you think mainlanders will get to the stadium? Will it be a genuine tourist attraction in your view?
WHITE: That's the underpinning business case that supports the investment the Tasmanian and Australian Governments are making in the project. It's about revitalisation for the winter period in the state's capital. It is about providing a great sporting venue, and also an events venue in the south of the state. So the premise of the investment is to make sure we…
CONNELL: [Talks over] Is it a solid premise?
WHITE: …drive economic activity in the south of the state over winter.
CONNELL: [Talks over] Is it a solid premise?
WHITE: Well, that's why the investment's been made.
CONNELL: Okay, but do you think it's a solid premise? Can you imagine it being a good attraction?
WHITE: I think it will be a good attraction and it's up to the state government to deliver on it.
CONNELL: All right. Now, there's an announcement today in your portfolio about adaptions to the health system for climate change. Can you give some examples of what that might look like, what the differences would be we need to prepare for within health?
WHITE: So there's a couple of things. I think climate change impacts on health behaviours in a number of ways - obviously rising temperatures, more pollen in the air, extreme weather events. Just look at what happened recently in Darwin where we saw the impact of the cyclone affecting on health services and now delivery of health care to people in that region.
So it's about making sure you've got continuity of care that can be delivered in times where you've got significant events, but also responding where you've got weather extremities that might impact on health care and health of people.
CONNELL: So sometimes it's enough frontline people for these types of- new types threats if you like or mass health events almost?
WHITE: It can either be health events that people might be experiencing because of weather conditions or rising temperature. But it's also about how we structure our health system to respond - what kind of buildings we have, whether or not they've got solar panels and whether they've got- using passive energy opportunities, passive solar, so we can make sure that we're using the resources that we have in our environment better. So it's about supply chain, security, a whole range of things so that we can protect people in cases where we've got climate change.
CONNELL: Rebecca White, thanks for your time.
WHITE: Thank you.