Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition has vowed to introduce legislation into this place to overturn state laws that were put in place to protect the few remaining pristine waterways of Queensland. In government, the member for Warringah was transparent in his propensity to involve himself in state government matters, and it seems little has changed in the last three years. I have a message for the member for Warringah from my constituents: ‘Butt out of our Queensland wild rivers.’ The Queensland Wild Rivers Act is essentially a planning and management tool to ensure that development close to these virtually untouched rivers and waterways is environmentally sound. The Wild Rivers Act prevents highly destructive development, such as large dams and mining, by providing protective buffers around these natural wonders. Ten wild rivers areas have been declared already under the legislation—on Hinchinbrook and Fraser islands, four in the gulf region and four on Cape York, including the Wenlock River, which is the most recently protected river system—and there are more to come, particularly down in the south-west. This declaration ensures the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve on Cape York Peninsula is now protected from a proposed bauxite mine. Terri Irwin recently wrote to ask me to do my bit to ensure that the Wenlock River, an area she describes as ‘the most beautiful place on earth’, continues to receive wild river protection.

The member for Warringah has also created a few misconceptions about wild rivers, namely that it is an assault on native title and it prevents development. To the contrary, the Wild Rivers Act 2005 does not prevent new development. It simply ensures that development occurs in a way that does not impact on the overall health of the river system, and it certainly does not impact on native title. Rather, native title rights are actually enshrined in the Wild Rivers Act, and the act ensures that camping, hunting, fishing, gathering, ceremonies and harvesting of bush food and medicines are able to continue.

I am yet to hear any local wild river traditional owner speak against wild rivers. This is what Murrandoo Yanner, for the Carpentaria Land Council, had to say:

We are wild about wild rivers in a good way. We love it. If we had our way the lower gulf would be covered in wild river declarations.

And David Claudie from the Cape York Chuulangun Aboriginal Corporation said:

It is clear that the motivation behind this bill is political and in no way reflects Mr Abbott’s purposes for the advancement and protection of Australia’s Indigenous people.

The opposition leader was a boxer once, and I have seen him give himself some pretty vicious upper cuts recently, but he lost this bout before it began. I suggest he throw in the towel when it comes to the Queensland Wild Rivers Act because he is fighting out of his class.

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