Summary

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The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time. This means that they agreed with the main idea of the bill and will now discuss the bill in greater detail.

What is the bill's main idea?

According to the bills digest, the key points on the bill are that:

  • Australia is a party to the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (London Protocol). The London Protocol aims to promote the effective control of all sources of marine pollution and take practical steps to prevent pollution of the sea by the dumping of wastes and other matter.

  • The London Protocol is administered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations.

  • The London Protocol is implemented in Australia by the Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981 (Sea Dumping Act). However, certain activities, including sub-seabed sequestration of greenhouse gases, are also regulated by the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (OPGGS Act) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

  • The Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Amendment (Using New Technologies to Fight Climate Change) Bill 2023 proposes to amend the Sea Dumping Act to implement 2009 and 2013 amendments to the London Protocol to:

  • allow for the issue of permits for the export of carbon dioxide streams from carbon dioxide capture processes for the purpose of sequestration into a sub-seabed geological formations

  • allow for the issue of permits for the placement of wastes or other material for a marine geoengineering activity for the purpose of scientific research.

  • The commencement of the provisions would be dependent on the deposit of ratification, and in the case of the 2009 amendment, further steps as outlined in this Digest.

  • The amendments to the London Protocol were subject to a House Standing Committee inquiry and have also been referred to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee.

Votes Passed by a small majority

Nobody rebelled against their party.

Party Votes
Australian Greens (100% turnout) 0 Yes 11 No
Penny Allman-Payne Queensland No
Dorinda Cox WA No
Mehreen Faruqi NSW No
Sarah Hanson-Young SA No
Nick McKim Tasmania No
Barbara Pocock SA No
Janet Rice Victoria No
David Shoebridge NSW No
Jordon Steele-John WA No
Larissa Waters Queensland No
Peter Whish-Wilson Tasmania No
Australian Labor Party (80% turnout) 20 Yes 0 No
Tim Ayres NSW Yes
Catryna Bilyk Tasmania Yes
Carol Brown Tasmania Yes
Anthony Chisholm Queensland Yes
Raff Ciccone Victoria Yes
Don Farrell SA Yes
Nita Green Queensland Yes
Karen Grogan SA Yes
Jenny McAllister NSW Yes
Malarndirri McCarthy NT Yes
Deborah O'Neill NSW Yes
Helen Polley Tasmania Yes
Louise Pratt WA Yes
Tony Sheldon NSW Yes
Marielle Smith SA Yes
Glenn Sterle WA Yes
Jana Stewart Victoria Yes
Anne Urquhart Tasmania Yes
Jess Walsh Victoria Yes
Murray Watt Queensland Yes
Patrick Dodson WA Absent
Katy Gallagher ACT Absent
Fatima Payman WA Absent
Linda White Victoria Absent
Penny Wong SA Absent
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price NT Country Liberal Party Absent
Andrew McLachlan SA Deputy President Yes
David Pocock ACT Independent No
Lidia Thorpe Victoria Independent Absent
David Van Victoria Independent Absent
Jacqui Lambie Network (100% turnout) 0 Yes 2 No
Jacqui Lambie Tasmania No
Tammy Tyrrell Tasmania No
Liberal National Party (0% turnout) Absent
Matthew Canavan Queensland Absent
James McGrath Queensland Absent
Liberal Party (14% turnout) 3 Yes 0 No
Jonathon Duniam Tasmania Yes
Kerrynne Liddle SA Yes
Paul Scarr Queensland Yes
Alex Antic SA Absent
Wendy Askew Tasmania Absent
Simon Birmingham SA Absent
Andrew Bragg NSW Absent
Slade Brockman WA Absent
Michaelia Cash WA Absent
Claire Chandler Tasmania Absent
Richard Colbeck Tasmania Absent
David Fawcett SA Absent
Sarah Henderson Victoria Absent
Hollie Hughes NSW Absent
Jane Hume Victoria Absent
Maria Kovacic NSW Absent
Matt O'Sullivan WA Absent
James Paterson Victoria Absent
Gerard Rennick Queensland Absent
Linda Reynolds WA Absent
Anne Ruston SA Absent
Dean Smith WA Absent
National Party (0% turnout) Absent
Ross Cadell NSW Absent
Perin Davey NSW Absent
Susan McDonald Queensland Absent
Bridget McKenzie Victoria Absent
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party (50% turnout) 0 Yes 1 No
Malcolm Roberts Queensland No
Pauline Hanson Queensland Absent
Sue Lines WA President Yes
Ralph Babet Victoria United Australia Party Yes
Totals (55% turnout) 26 Yes – 15 No