Environment and Communications References Committee

Larissa Waters

I move:

That the following matters be referred to the Environment and Communications References Committee for inquiry and report by 20 November 2025:

(a) the Government's secrecy and withholding of the Climate Risk Assessment (the assessment) from the Australian public since December 2024;

(b) the research, consultation and preparation of the assessment by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water;

(c) the expected ongoing impacts upon the Australian community that are contained within the assessment;

(d) the budgetary costs of both climate driven natural disasters and any government adaptation plans;

(e) the Government's ongoing approach to transparency related to reducing emissions and adaptation to a world currently on track for 2.6 to 3.1 degrees of warming; and

(f) any other related matters.

Anthony Chisholm

():  I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anthony Chisholm

The government will not be supporting this motion. As explained by the minister in the letter tabled yesterday, the documents and questions are submissions to cabinet and informed cabinet deliberation. The confidence of ministers and the confidentiality of the cabinet process now and into the future would be diminished if the details of cabinet deliberations were to be disclosed prior to the open-access period provided for in the Archives Act.

The government is committed to releasing Australia's first-ever comprehensive assessment of the risks posed by climate change and how we can adapt. The government initiated this assessment and released the first pass assessment report of the National Climate Risk Assessment in March 2024. The government is now in the process of finalising the assessment for public release in a manner that respects the extensive work of Australia's leading climate scientists.

Sue Lines

The question is that business of the Senate No. 5, standing in the name of Senator Waters, be agreed to.