Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the Protection of the Sea Legislation Amendment Bill 2018, and I do so because it is a good bill and the right thing to do. We heard the member for Grayndler earlier talk in support of this bill and about why it's important to do so. I've spoken about this issue many times before in this parliament, and I would just like to reiterate one more time that the seat of Hindmarsh that I represent has 18 kilometres of seafront, coast, that affects our tourism and recreation. They are the beaches for the western suburbs and, in fact, for most of the metropolitan area of Adelaide, so it's very important that we keep them pristine, beautiful and very well looked after, as we have done so for many years.

I'm very proud to represent such an area. It has some of the best beaches in Australia, like Glenelg, Henley, Grange and all the way up to West Beach, Somerton, Tennyson and parts of Semaphore Beach. These are absolutely beautiful seafront, sandy beaches that the entire Adelaide region uses for recreation, barbecues, swimming and a whole range of other things. Not only South Australians but also many international tourists use them. So, Mr Deputy Speaker, you can see why a bill like this is so important. A short distance further north is the port of Port Adelaide and the harbour of Outer Harbor, which have lots of ships coming in. We want the ships that visit the coastline all around Australia to do the right thing and to do what they can, through legislation such as this, to ensure that our beaches around the country and their beautiful ecosystems are kept in place.

As I said, my electorate and its beaches are a tourism hub that draws people from all over the state, all over the country and, of course, all over the world during the summer. I and my constituents are privileged to be surrounded by such a beautiful environment, and that is why this bill is so important. The international treatment of pollution from ships is something that we have to be engaged in as a nation. We have to ensure that we take part, as we heard from the previous speakers earlier, in international forums, agreements and discussions that support and strengthen our ability to keep our coastlines pristine. In fact, this is such an important issue to South Australians that back in 2001, I think it was, there was a Senate inquiry into the Gulf St Vincent, which is basically the gulf that Adelaide's coast is on. The inquiry recommended that action needed to be taken to ensure that the gulf and its recreation fishing, fishing businesses and tourism et cetera were there for many years to come. We also had, back in 2005, Labor's inquiry—we were in opposition at the time—into the Gulf St Vincent, and many of the issues in this bill were mentioned at that time. When we came into government we implemented many of those findings, but there is still a long way to go.

This legislation affects just about every coastline around the country. In my electorate, the coastline is home to a variety of birds, insects and reptiles, many of which are native to the area. I also have one of the last sand dunes in the metropolitan area, Tennyson Dunes, which is a pristine environmental ecosystem that is being preserved. We also have some dunes further south at Somerton Beach. This is why my constituents recognise that this is such an important issue and such an important bill. It is a delicate ecosystem, and we appreciate the area for what it is. We can see how perhaps some ships that are coming in aren't doing the right thing and could damage the entire coast. They could damage not only the coastline and its waters but also the tourism, businesses and a whole range of other things that go with it. This is something that I've fought very hard for to ensure that we can preserve and conserve it for future generations. I'm sure that all members in this House whose electorate has a coastline feel the same way.

The River Torrens goes through the middle of my electorate. Many years ago, there were lots of industries along this river such as Onkaparinga Textiles, Michell leather, and Mason and Cox. They were all put there for a reason, and that was that the waste would go straight into the river and out to sea. Lots of those archaic practices have now stopped, because the flow to the sea means damage to the ecosystem in our waters, the Gulf St Vincent. I suppose this bill is there to do the same thing: so that ships who are carrying goods that shouldn't be let out into the sea are stopped from doing so. That is why it's an important bill and something that we on this side are supporting.

The first Sunday of March each year is Clean Up Australia Day, a day where thousands of Australians go out and clean up in their areas and on the coastline. We had some wonderful groups that did some clean-up on the day. We saw the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Adelaide West community create a Clean Up Australia Day event along Tapleys Hill Road, which is basically the coastline of my electorate. The danger of everyday littering is a real concern to our coasts, and we recognise the efforts of the people who volunteer their time for the sake of conservation. The local community are committed to the conservation of our environment and they do their part. Accordingly, all of us in this place should stand up for legislation such as this that will protect the marine environment and our coastlines.

Members in this chamber will be well aware that nearly all of Australia's exports travel via ship, with a significant portion consisting of solid bulk cargo. In fact, we heard earlier speakers say that one-sixth of every kilometre of water in the world is Australia's responsibility. That's why this bill is so important. It's important to our national export trade, and it does no unnecessary harm to our shores and our imports. It's crucial that we take action—in particular, in sensitive marine areas such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Torres Strait and Antarctica. What is terrifying about bulk cargo shipping is that we do not know for certain what the environmental risks are. This bill will ensure that shippers classify and declare solid bulk cargoes which could be harmful to the marine environment, and goods which are not harmful to the marine environment, and inform the master of this classification. This will allow us to determine the appropriate manner of discharge for the residues of these cargoes according to whether the ship is located outside or within special areas, or Arctic waters.

It's estimated that 2.15 million tonnes enter the ocean every year just as the result of bulk cargo shipping. Deputy Speaker, you can see what this does to our environment. Australian households—each and every one of us—are also encouraged to do our part for the environment and to introduce environmentally conscious measures that work for everyday household goods as well. As such, I welcome this reform, which ensures that this parliament does its part for conservation and for our seas. Australian cargo that ends up in the sea ends up there as a result of the ship which holds the waste being washed, or because the waste was dumped, or for one of a range of other reasons. This bill will put the responsibility back onto the shippers. Shippers will have to classify and declare their cargo. Shippers will be advised of the methods of discharge which are the safest for the environment, depending on what's appropriate to their circumstances.

This is not a reform that's done in isolation. It's done to align Australia with its latest obligations internationally. As I said earlier, it is our duty to ensure that we take part in forums, international discussions and international agreements, because one-sixth of the ocean is Australia's responsibility. We're an island, we're surrounded by water, most of our exports and imports come via the water, so it's very important to ensure that we keep our beaches and our environment and a whole range of other things pristine and clean. Worldwide, 9.5 billion tonnes of solid bulk cargo are transported annually.

Our overseas friends, neighbours and trading partners have already stepped up and implemented protection for the sea from ships, and they follow the convention put forward by the International Maritime Organization. The IMO is the UN agency which is responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing pollution, and Australia is a member state. For five decades the IMO has worked with governments and industry to establish less harmful systems that won't affect the environment in an adverse way. Internationally, this convention came into effect in March 2018, a month ago. There are many other nations which will be encouraged to ratify this convention as well. There is broad support internationally for the further prevention of pollution from ships, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see further international agreements being signed, strengthening the prevention of pollution from ships et cetera as much as possible.

As a resource-rich maritime nation, which Australia is, we should be cooperating internationally to prevent toxins and anything else from being dumped into the sea. Loading and unloading of bulk cargo presents a risk. There'll always be a risk with it for Australian ports, and we should have regulations that encourage the very best practice. We need to do much more to prevent further accidents that risk the condition of the sea. As I said, we're an island nation, so it's understandable that 99 per cent of all our trade is done via bulk cargo shipping. It's important to highlight that this bill does not seek to impact this trade—far from it. In comparison to Australia, there would be very few nations in which a strong shipping industry is so imperative.

I support this bill and I ask that other members consider doing so, to protect the sea not just for now but for future generations of Australians who will continue to use our pristine beaches and our pristine environment, and to ensure that the enjoyment that we get out of the beach and through recreational fishing, swimming et cetera is handed down to many generations of Australians.

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