Committee supports Macau relations and ozone protection

THE Joint Committee on Treaties has supported amendments to Australia’s consular arrangements with China and the Macau Special Administrative Region, and to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer in Report 173, tabled in the Parliament yesterday.

The amendments to Australia’s consular relations with Macau will provide procedural clarity for dealing with consular cases in the Special Administrative Region. The amendments will bring the consular arrangements with Macau under the auspices of the China Agreement. The decision to amend the agreements came after procedural issues arose in a number of arrest notifications between Macau and Australia in 2014.

Committee chair, Mr Stuart Robert MP noted Australia’s commercial and people-to-people links with the Macau Region. “We have a strong commercial presence in Macau and around one thousand Australian nationals live in the region.” Mr Robert said.

The Committee has also supported the amendments to the Montreal Protocol on substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The amendments will provide for the global phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are commonly found in refrigerant and air conditioning technologies. HFCs are of high global warming potential.

Mr Robert highlighted Australia’s commitment to the phase-down. “Australia has already implemented domestic legislation that will see us begin the phase-down in 2018, a year earlier than required by the Protocol.”

The amendments will see HFC’s phase-down between 2019 and 2036 and leave 15 per cent of the base line available for hard to transition technologies.

“This measure is supported by the relevant industries, as the transition time will allow for new technologies to become commercialised, or for alternatives to be developed,” Mr Robert said.

The report also contains the Committee’s review of two minor treaty actions relating to the OECD G20 Conventions addressing tax evasion by individuals and large multinationals.

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