Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak briefly on the statement I made to the House on behalf of the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Environment and the Arts in presenting the interim report of the inquiry into Australia’s biodiversity in a changing climate which we have been carrying out. I thank the member for Shortland for the comments she has just made; as a member of the committee she along with the other committee members has contributed to the committee's work, and there has been a good team effort in trying to get through the work before us.

I thank very much all of the people who made submissions to the committee. To date, we have received about 83 submissions, and they are all very good quality submissions. In fact, I have learnt a lot just from reading them. I think that the inquiry is very worth while given the number of very well researched and professional submissions we have received.

In the course of the inquiry, it became absolutely clear to me that Australia's marine and terrestrial biodiversity has already sustained considerable damage—some of it permanent—which has mostly been caused by human activity. It is also clear from the extensive evidence presented to the committee that climate change is adding to the damage and presenting additional risks. On current future climate forecasts, the damage is very likely to escalate.

Much of our flora and fauna is unique to Australia, but many of Australia's endemic plant and animal species have already been lost. Regardless of the causes of climate change, a changed climate will change the natural environment. The consequences of changes to our natural environment will be widespread, with impacts on agricultural production, human and animal health, and national economic drivers such as productivity and tourism. I will try to refer to each of those in the brief time that I have left to speak.

Agriculture relies on several factors, including water supply, soil nutrients, the timing of rainfall and temperature changes. Agriculture is also very much affected by natural environmental factors such as pollination, disease, pest plants, and animal and insect infestation, and all of those factors are in turn influenced and dependent on climate, weather and biodiversity. That is the crux of the matter: all of the things that affect agriculture are in turn impacted by biodiversity, and we sometimes take our biodiversity for granted. The reality is that it is fundamental to human life as well as to animal and insect life.

In essence, a healthy natural environment increases agricultural productivity; conversely, extreme weather events, low rainfall, restricted water supplies and pests and pesticides can add significantly to agricultural costs and lower productivity. In a similar way, physical and mental health outcomes are also directly linked to a healthy environment. Poor food quality, the use of pesticides, disease, pollution, the general environment and extreme temperatures have all been directly linked to health outcomes.

Australia's natural environment is unique, with many places listed as internationally recognised environmental assets. Their environmental value also makes them major tourist destinations. Tourism is an important economic driver and in some regions underpins the local economy. Natural pristine environments have become international drawcards for Australia. From the science available to date, biodiversity changes can have catastrophic consequences for Australia's best-known iconic sites, including Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef, although many other areas are equally at risk.

Debate interrupted.

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