Page 1449 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 10 April 2013
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quality of life for individuals and for those families caring for those individuals. It is without doubt and well recognised that disability services from state to state differ. The Productivity Commission was very clear about the lack of system and the ad hoc nature of the approach to disability services in the states. A premise of the NDIS is to take out the lucky door prize—that is very poor language, and I apologise if people find that offensive—in regard to application and receipt of disability dollars.
It is very clear, and the Productivity Commission has recognised this, that people in different states have access to different systems and different amounts of money. What the NDIS, with significant state and commonwealth investment, will do is provide some very clear criteria about assessment of need and allocation within that assessment about a fair and reasonable resource. Also, for the first time the decisions about what services and what provider is giving those services will be in the hands of the client and the family.
Environment—conservation
MR SMYTH: My question is to the minister for the environment. Minister, when will the government introduce the bill for a new nature conservation act?
MR CORBELL: It may not require a bill.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Smyth.
MR SMYTH: Minister, what consultation process has informed the government’s position on whether or not it will need a bill?
MR CORBELL: Mr Smyth was referring to the Nature Conservation Act. Did I hear you correctly or not? I beg your pardon. I thought you were referring to the Nature Conservation Agency. I apologise for that. I can confirm that yes, the government does intend to introduce a new bill to amend the Nature Conservation Act, and we have undertaken a very extensive program of consultation in terms of a discussion paper that has dealt with some of the key concepts around the operation of a new nature conservation act.
The final provision of a draft bill is predicated on the completion of a number of other processes, including considerations in relation to the operation of the environment protection legislation at the commonwealth level and reforms the commonwealth have proposed to that act. That will be part of informing what our final bill will look like.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
MR DOSZPOT: Minister, why will you not release the PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by the Environment and Sustainable Development Directorate?
MR CORBELL: The final report has not yet been considered by cabinet. Once it is considered by cabinet, consideration will be given to the release of other documents that have been used in preparation of the bill, including the report that Mr Doszpot refers to.
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