An expert advisory committee has been established to provide advice on finalising the arrangements for emissions-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) activities outlined in the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme White Paper.

The part-time committee will be chaired by Mr Dick Warburton AO FAICD, who will be joined by Mr John Marlay, Mr Bill McLennan and Mr David Boymal,” Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, said today.

“The Government is privileged to have such a highly-regarded and experienced group to provide advice on this process.

“The Government will draw on advice from both the Department of Climate Change and the expert advisory committee on the eligibility of activities based on the extent and quality of data received through the data collection and consultation process with business.”

The expert advisory committee will provide the Government and business with additional assurance that both the process and the decisions are fair and reasonable in the context of the White Paper policy positions.

Final decisions on the EITE assistance policy will be taken by Government and reflected in draft scheme regulations, the first of which will be released mid-2009.

The recently-released Guidance Paper on the assessment process for EITE activities announced that an expert advisory committee would be established to advise the Government.

The Guidance Paper outlined the data collection and consultation process that would inform Government decision-making. The Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme White Paper released in December detailed the Government’s policies in relation to assistance to EITE activities.

“In designing the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, the Government’s primary objective has been to get the balance right – to set in place a scheme that reduces carbon pollution and supports economic growth,” Senator Wong said. “We have sought to support the jobs of today while at the same time putting in place a Scheme that will create the low pollution jobs of the future.”

The terms of reference for the committee and further details on committee members are attached.

Attachment A - expert advisory committee (emissions-intensive trade-exposed activities) terms of reference

The Expert Advisory Committee has been appointed to consider the process being undertaken to finalise the Emissions-Intensive Trade-Exposed (EITE) Assistance Program. It will provide advice to the Minister for Climate Change and Water on:

• the process being undertaken to assess EITE activities; and
• whether reasonable judgments have been made on matters of substance during the assessment process to give effect to the policy outlined in the White Paper and the principles outlined in the Guidance Paper. These matters of substance could include:
• activity definitions and the delineation of boundaries around each activity for the purposes of conducting an EITE assessment, particularly whether activities in different industries (both EITE and non-EITE industries) have been treated equitably and fairly;
• the preliminary assessment of activities not listed for attention in the first tranche of regulations;
• whether sufficient data of sufficient quality has been provided by industry to list the activity in the first tranche of regulations; and
• whether additional information from international sources should be brought to bear on the assessment and whether additional time will therefore be required for the assessment.

The Minister may request the panel to provide advice on specific matters, as required.

The Department of Climate Change will report regularly to the Panel, and the Panel may, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, task the Department to undertake work on specific matters, including seeking further information to assist in the assessments outlined above.

Attachment B - expert advisory committee (emissions-intensive trade-exposed activities)

Committee membership

Committee Chair: Mr Dick Warburton AO FAICD, is currently Chairman of Tandou Ltd and Magellan Flagship Fund Ltd and is a director of Citigroup Ltd. He is also Chairman of the Board of Taxation and a Director on the Advisory Board of The Garvan Research Foundation. Mr Warburton is a former Board Member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, former Chairman of the NSW Olympic Business Roundtable, a past National President of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a former Chairman of Caltex Australia Ltd and former Chairman and CEO of Du Pont Australia and New Zealand.

Committee Member: Mr John Marlay, is currently an independent non-executive Director of Incitec Pivot; a former member of the Task Group on Emissions Trading, and previously CEO and Executive Director of Alumina Limited. Mr Marlay has extensive resource sector experience operating in international management roles, mostly in energy-intensive industries.

Committee Member: Professor David Boymal, has recently retired as chairman of the Australian Accounting Standards Board, and has been a past member of its predecessor Boards, the IASC, the UIG and IFAC. David is Adjunct Professor of Accounting at RMIT University and a past National President of CPA Australia. David is a former senior partner and National Director - Accounting and Audit Standards of Ernst and Young.

Committee Member: Mr Bill McLennan, became the Australian Statistician and head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics from 1995, and retired from this post in June 2000. He was also Chairman of the United Nations Statistical Commission from 1994 to 1995, and was also a former director of the Central Statistical Office in the United Kingdom.