Disclosure log

All documents held by the office of Minister Ley relating to the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee's inquiry hearing into Australia's Faunal Extinction Crisis on Friday 23rd August 2019.

Documents that relate to or refer to the decision and/or the nomination to list the ‘Sphyrna lewini’ (Scalloped Hammerhead shark) under section 178 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), namely:

• Submissions received by the Department in response to the 2014 public consultation process in 2014 from the Queensland and NT governments
• Any decision brief (or similar document) and any attachment to that brief
• Ministerial briefings (or similar document) and any attachments to those briefings
• Minutes of all meetings of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC)
• Correspondence, including emails, briefing or working notes and file notes of conversations and/or meetings, including any attachments to those documents between the following parties:
  • TSSC and fisheries agencies
  • Fisheries agencies and DoEE
  • DoEE and TSSC

The scope of this request is limited to documents within the date range of 1 August 2014 and 1 February 2018.

• The Referral Decision Brief for Gas import facility, Crib Point, Victoria (EPBC 2018/8298)
• The Assessment Approach Decision Brief for Gas import facility, Crib Point, Victoria (EPBC 2018/8298)
• Correspondence received by the Department or the Minister from any member of Federal Parliament or the Victorian Parliament, or the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning in relation to the development of Crib Point Gas import facility sent or received since 2017.

I do not seek access to any documents that are publicly available (including the publicly available referral information, which may be appended to any briefs).

• All documents within the date range of 1st July 2018 up to and including 21st December 2018 (including internal and external correspondence, memoranda and file notes of meetings and phone conversations, between the Department, Minister and/or the Minister’s delegate with the proponent and/or RMS) relating to:
  • the reduction of the initial proposed financial contribution of $500,000 over five years for the proponent to implement the Koala Plan of Management to $250,000 over five years; and/or
  • representations or submissions by the proponent regarding the $1m NSW Government grant programme; and
• Any file note(s) or other records of phone conversations between the Department and the proponent on 21 December 2018

The information I request is for any documents, briefs or formal advice that informed the decision by the then Environment Minister, Peter Garrett about his decision under section 269AA of the EPBC Act in November 2009 to not have recovery plans for 707 species (NB: These 707 species are also known as the Recovery Planning Action Not Commenced List). I also seek a copy of the decision itself.

Please limit the search to the documents, briefs or advice from the Department and the Threatened Species Scientific Committee over the period of the 2008 and 2009 calendar years. Please include any relevant meeting agendas or meeting minutes from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee over this period.

I would also like to request copies of any correspondence between the Threatened Species Scientific Committee and the Department, and between the Threatened Species Scientific Committee and the Minister in relation to this matter in the 2008 and 2009 calendar years.

I refer to the attached email of 2 February 2012 from Mr Steve Mercer to other staff members of the then Department of SEWPaC. In that email Mr Mercer refers to documents that he is preparing as a result of his undertaking made at a meeting on 31 January 2012.

I ask for copies of:

• The documents that Mr Mercer states are attached to that email of 2 February 2012 - “item 3 with various attachments” and the “ ‘compliance style’ letter prepared by AGS…….”;
• Other documents prepared by Mr Mercer and sent to other staff as part of his undertaking, including the documents for items 1 and 2 as described in the email of 2 February 2012;
• the covering emails sent to other staff by Mr Mercer with those documents.

The Incoming Government Brief (IGB) provided to the Hon Sussan Ley MP the Minister for the Environment following the May 2019 Federal election.

• A copy of any reports or proposals created by the department relating to the Australia's submissions to or engagement with the UN Climate Summit that will begin on 23 September 2019.
• A copy of any correspondence or records of communications (including emails, letter and file notes of telephone conversations and meetings) between the department and the Prime Minister's department sent in calendar 2019 regarding the UN Climate Summit that will begin on 23 September 2019.

Copies of all correspondence and minutes/notes from meetings between the Department of the Environment and Energy and representatives of the following organisations:

• Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association
• Shell Australia

Please search for this information within the following date ranges:

• 1 November 2018 – 11 April 2019
• 18 May 2019 – 14 June 2019

Which refer to Australia’s 2030 climate change target and/or the use of Kyoto carry-over credits to meet Australia’s commitments under the Paris Agreement. 

I write seeking information under the Freedom of Information Act, specifically the Bendelta Pty Ltd report on insights into staff behaviours, as listed with CN3597493.