House Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage

Committee activities (inquiries and reports)

Review of Green Office Procurement Audit

Review of Audit Report No. 22, 2005-2006

Interim report – Inquiry into a Sustainability Charter

Print Preliminary Pages (PDF 75KB)

< - Report Home : Chapter 1 - >

August 2006

Canberra

ISBN 1741 778 840

ISBN 1741 778 859

Membership of the Committee
Terms of reference
List of abbreviations
Chapter 1 Background
Chapter 2 Barriers to green procurement
Chapter 3 Setting a policy framework
Appendix A ANAO recommendations

Membership of the Committee

Chair	Dr Mal Washer MP
Deputy Chair	Ms Jennie George MP
Members	Mr Russell Broadbent MP	Hon Duncan Kerr MP
	Hon Warren Entsch MP (from 9/2/06 )	Mr Stewart McArthur MP
	Ms Kelly Hoare MP	Mr Ken Ticehurst MP (from 9/5/06 )
	Mr Harry Jenkins MP	Mr Malcolm Turnbull MP (to 9/2/06 )
	Hon Jackie Kelly MP (to 9/5/06 )	Mr Jason Wood MP

Committee Secretariat

Secretary	Mr Ian Dundas
Inquiry Secretary	Ms Sarah Fielder
Research Officer	Ms Samantha Mannette
Administrative Officer	Mrs Marlene Dundas

Terms of Reference

Sustainability Charter inquiry

On 12 September 2005 the House of Representatives Standing Committee tabled the Sustainable Cities report. The committee called for the development of a Sustainability Charter based on measurable outcomes, over a certain period, with intermediate milestones.

The charter should be aspirational. It must provide targets for the Australian community to meet and, once those targets have been met they must be re-assessed so new targets can be put in place.

The Committee is now inquiring into and will report on key elements of a sustainability charter and identify the most important and achievable targets, particularly in relation to:

The built environment;
Water;
Energy;
Transport; and
Ecological footprint.

Review of Audit Report No. 22, 2005-2006

As part of the inquiry, the committee also resolved to inquire into the Auditor-General’s report on Green Office Procurement (number 22 of 2005-2006), tabled in the House of Representatives on 7 February 2006. This resolution was made in accordance with standing order 215, which provides for a standing committee to inquire into reports of the Auditor-General presented to the House.

List of abbreviations

ANAO	Australian National Audit Office
CAC	Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997
CEI	Chief Executive Instructions
DEH	Department of the Environment and Heritage
EMS	Environmental Management System
ESD	Ecologically Sustainable Development
FMA	Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997
TBL	Triple bottom line