Pat Conaghan (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak against the motion moved by the member for Hindmarsh. It is clear that with this motion Labor is simply jumping on sensationalist, populist sentiment. They prefer to put forward this grand symbolic gesture rather than actually committing to policies that will reintroduce carbon emissions. In contrast, our government has a plan, one that we took to the Australian people. Part of this plan is to effectively act on climate change and meet our emissions reduction target for 2020, as agreed in Kyoto. We also have a plan to meet our emissions reduction target for 2030, as detailed in the Paris accord global agreement. We can do this in a balanced and responsible way. We can work with our global partners to deliver a healthy environment for future generations, whilst keeping our economy strong. This is why we have invested $3.5 billion into our Climate Solutions Package, which will deliver the 328 million tonnes of abatement needed to reach our Paris targets. The Climate Solutions Fund is a great program, one that brings to $4.55 billion our support for businesses, landholders, farmers and Indigenous Australians, through practical climate solutions. The Climate Solutions Fund gives Australians the incentive to adopt smarter practices and technologies to reduce greenhouse gases and, at the same time, earn additional revenue.

The Tambua Regeneration Project is a great example of what is being delivered through the fund. Tambua station is a farm located near Cobar in New South Wales. The Evans family owns the property and recently celebrated 100 years and five generations on the land. Over the years, the family has overcome a number of challenges that often occur with farming, including drought and bushfires. The Evans family, supported by an Emissions Reduction Fund contract over 10 years, is establishing permanent native forests on the property. They've been growing these forests from seed on land that was previously cleared and on which regrowth has been suppressed for 10 years. These new forests will effectively become carbon sinks, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This is a great example of responsible stewardship. This is one example of thousands that's being implemented without great fanfare and sensationalism.

There are also projects being delivered in my electorate of Cowper. Through the Emissions Reductions Fund, we have invested $1 million to help Biomass Solutions in Coffs Harbour to produce compost from the organic waste collected in three neighbouring local government areas. We will be investing a further $2 million in this project in the near future. The fund also has enabled the New South Wales office of environment, energy and science to plant $800,000 worth of new native trees on land that had previously been cleared for agriculture.

We are making the investment necessary to bring about change. In fact, in 2018, Australia led the world in clean energy investment, with more than double the per capita investment of other leading nations like France and the United Kingdom. We are, therefore, doing more per capita than any of these countries who saw fit to declare a climate emergency, highlighting the redundant nature of this motion by Labor.

Rather than being reactive, we have announced some proactive steps to mitigate the current climate change and drought in Australia. Drought is debilitating for regional communities like those in my electorate of Cowper. But, rather than offer redundant, symbolic gestures, like this motion, we have acted decisively to invest $3.5 billion in water infrastructure to fast-track the construction of new dams, weirs and pipelines. This will guarantee new and affordable water for regional Australia into the future and unlock the economic potential for new and expanded agricultural production. We have also been proactive by investing in renewable energy projects like Snowy 2.0 and the Battery of the Nation in Tasmania. We are getting on with the job of delivering our plan to make Australia stronger.

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