The Australian,
July 08, 2006
RELEASING advice from federal bureaucrats about Environment Minister Ian Campbell's decision to block a multi-million-dollar wind farm is not in the public interest and could "promote ill-informed speculation about government decisions". The Department of Environment and Heritage made the ruling after the Bracks Government applied through Freedom of Information laws for documents relating to the decision to veto the wind farm.
Senator Campbell said the renewable energy proposal at Bald Hills, in the politically sensitive Victorian area of Gippsland, should not go ahead, on the grounds it posed an unacceptable risk to the endangered orange-bellied parrot.
However, The Australian reported that the chances of the rare parrot fatally colliding with wind farm turbines - as feared by Senator Campbell - was once every 1000 years.
When Senator Campbell blocked the $220 million project, in Victoria's southeast, he said it had the potential to kill one orange-bellied parrot a year.
Senator Campbell last night backed the decision of his department to not release key documents on the issue, saying it was being handled in an appropriate "procedural manner". "I've been completely open about the decision-making process for Bald Hills," he said.
His department granted full access to four documents and partial access to a further 30 documents. It denied access to six documents, saying "their disclosure would be contrary to the public interest in pursuing good governance". The documents included briefs, internal departmental supporting advice and correspondence.
Alex Rankin, assistant secretary of the department's environment assessment branch, said the information was necessary for the consideration and administration of decisions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
He said the information included possible options relating to the "deliberative processes involved in the function of the minister and the department". Release of the documents would harm the ability of officers to freely advise Senator Campbell and "present advice and options on sensitive issues".
He said release of the documents "may promote ill-informed speculation about the Government's decisions in relation to the environmental assessment and approval of proposals referred under the EPBC Act".
Victorian Planning Minister Rob Hulls said Senator Campbell should release the advice he received from his department over whether to approve the Bald Hills wind farm.
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