Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Robertson for her question. Whether it be the shocking spectacle of marine turtles tangled in discarded nets, or seabirds ingesting pieces of brightly coloured balloons because they look like food, or micro-plastics that we cannot even see entering the food chain, this Recycling Week is a reminder of one of the most pressing issues facing our environment—plastic debris in our oceans. The Morrison government's commitment to tackling this problem comes in three key approaches. The first is major policy reform. Our waste export ban gives value to the plastic you throw away. It turns it into something that is recycled, re-used, remanufactured. Innovative new approaches are starting to do that, behind the Prime Minister's waste export ban. Secondly, we are creating international partnerships such as those in the Pacific, where we are recognised as the leaders on blue carbon, marine park management and everything to do with keeping our fishing activities sustainable.

I visited the Clean4shore activities in the electorate of the member for Robertson some time ago. We met the amazing Jono Johnson and his barge, and the schoolchildren picking up a huge volume of plastics that are in the waterways. Those practical activities contribute enormously. We are cleaning out the Yarra, the Torrens, the Brisbane, the Swan and the Hawkesbury rivers. We are partnering with conservation volunteers and Clean Up Australia to reduce the litter on our beaches and the litter in our waterways. We are partnering with our Pacific neighbours—and I recognise the minister for the Pacific and the foreign minister in the other place. There is 310,000 tonnes of plastic waste generated every year. Through our Pacific Ocean Litter Project, we are cleaning that up.

This year's budget included new funding to get rid of ghost nets in the waters of northern Australia. There was a $14 million commitment to funding new technologies to trap and map this discarded fishing gear. We're also providing Indigenous ranger groups employment opportunities to retrieve and recycle waste. These measures are on top of the $1.9 billion over a decade for the Great Barrier Reef to implement the Reef 2050 plan. That funding manages the crown-of-thorns starfish, reduces marine debris and implements an ambitious world-leading marine restoration program. There is our Antarctic science—the role our meteorologists and scientists play in Southern Ocean climate systems and in the impact of krill and plastics. That research is shared internationally, and every Australian should be incredibly proud of it. I've spoken in the House about how we are driving a $1 billion transformation of our waste and recycling industry. The plastic that we recycle doesn't get into our oceans. The work we are doing internationally and at home is practical and on the ground, and it makes a difference.

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