Listed below are several points of concern that I have in relation to the proposed Nature Conservation Bill 2013:

18 Conservator - functions

• The bill should state that a function of the conservator is to contribute to the ACT State of the Environment Report.
• The bill should state that the conservator should have regard to any government response to an investigation report released by the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment concerning a nature conservation matter.

Chapter 4 Threatened native species and ecological communities

• The bill should make provision for the establishment of a critical habitat register. (The Northwest corner Belconnen Naval Transmission Station in the ACT is listed under the EPBC Act as critical habitat for the Ginninderra Peppercress.)
• • The establishment of a critical habitat register would be a matter of ecological judgement, and would be based on the most up-to-date scientific information available to the Scientific Committee.
  • If action plans identify the habitats that are critical to the survival of the species or community concerned, then these particularly significant habitats need to be accessible via online tools such as ACTmapi.
• The bill should require that a critical habitat register be made available via the conservator's web page.
• The bill should make it an offence to knowingly damage critical habitat.
• The bill should include a requirement for a protection covenant to be placed over a parcel of land that contains critical habitat.

89 What is a draft action plan?

• The bill should state that a draft action plan must specify the time period over which the plan and the described actions are to apply.

96 Action plans - monitoring and review

• The bill should state that a report prepared by the conservator must be published and made available via the conservator's web page.

252 What is suitability information about an activity?

• The bill should include two more relevant examples namely: ecological surveys and species relocation projects.