Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

I'd like to start by thanking the two members for their contributions on the Maritime Legislation Amendment Bill 2022, the member for Barker and the member for Spence, and particularly the member for Spence for his long contribution to the maritime industry. The Australian government is committed to best-practice maritime environmental protection. This bill will bring Australia's maritime legislation in line with the latest globally agreed amendments to international maritime conventions that Australia is a party to. The bill will: further strengthen our marine environment protections by introducing, as I said before, provisions to control the discharge of noxious liquid substances known as persistent floaters in certain European waters that come into force on 1 January 2021; extend the current ban on the use of heavy fuel oil by ships in the Antarctic to encompass Arctic waters from 1 July 2024; and ban the use of ship antifouling systems containing the toxic chemical biocide cybutryne from 1 January 2023.

By legislating these environmental controls, Australia will uphold our longstanding international reputation for promoting safe and clean shipping operations, and we will be ensuring that international standards to reduce ship pollution and protect the marine environment are being implemented consistently across the globe. The Albanese government remains committed to ensuring Australia's maritime regulatory framework remains up to date and fit for purpose to support a healthy ocean, to protect our coastal communities and to promote sustainable trade. I commend the bill to the House.

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