Urgency

on behalf of the Leader of the House: I move, That urgency be accorded to the introduction, first reading, and referral to select committee of the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Bill.

The use of urgency for the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Bill is to enable it to come before the House today when it would otherwise not have been available until next week. It will be considered by the House entirely within normal sitting hours. Having the bill read the first time provides some time for it to be considered by a select committee. There is, however, a need to get this bill enacted quickly. It is one of the range of measures that will help to rebuild the economy after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill identifies 11 infrastructure projects to be fast tracked through the consent process so that they can get going much sooner than would otherwise be possible. I will outline those projects plus some other tracks under the bill in more detail when we discuss that bill, but overall, it will reduce the duration of consent processes, which will enable projects to start significantly earlier than would otherwise be the case.

With limited House time available before the election, in the view of the Government, it’s essential that this bill go to select committee now so that it can benefit from urgency, which is the House’s own fast-track system. Delay until after the election of the passage of this bill would nullify some of its effects and delay a significant boost to the economy post-COVID. I ask the House to support the urgency motion.