Kylea Tink (North Sydney, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Discussing the first Annual Climate Change Statement tabled during this 47th Parliament is a historic moment—one my community of North Sydney fought long and hard for. To have the advice which is being used by this government to inform its climate policy made publicly available for all to see is an important step in ensuring greater transparency and accountability in our legislative processes. Ultimately it will contribute to sound decision-making and faster action on climate change led by facts, not politics. I'm proud to say my community's advocacy played an integral role in enabling this transparency. On 4 August last year, on behalf of my North Sydney community, I moved a successful amendment to the climate change bills, to strengthen parliamentary transparency over advice provided to the government, by ensuring a copy of what is provided is not only published on the website but also officially tabled in the House. This may seem like such a simple, obvious amendment, but it fundamentally strengthened our democracy.

We have a steep road ahead of us. Strong ambition requires even stronger action, and I'm here today to reiterate my community's commitment to that action. Now is not the time to settle. It is the time to press on.

I acknowledge that 2021-22 was a landmark year in Australia's progress towards our climate goals. The legislating of net zero by 2050 and a stronger 2030 target are significant developments, as is commencing the implementation of the government's Powering Australia plan. I note the government's announcement of Australia's disaster recovery fund to contribute to national climate change risks and the creation of the first National Energy Transformation Partnership. I also note the government's commitment to fast-tracking offshore wind industry and renewable energy zones and accelerating Australia's renewable energy transformation.

I also want to acknowledge the gaps present in the government's response to the authority's advice. The advice is that Australia needs to address the practical barriers to success in supply chains, workforce capacity and project approval time lines. The advice is that Australia needs a long-term strategy for emissions reductions, a strategy that sets expectations for when, how and by how much emissions should be reduced across different sectors of the economy. The advice is that the government needs indicators in place for detailed sector-by-sector emissions reduction plans, not only in the electricity industry and carbon farming but in all newly extended targets for industrial facilities covered by the Safeguard Mechanism.

I specifically want to address the advice provided by the authority which calls for a radical shift in momentum towards decarbonisation. The advice itself says 'Australia will need to decarbonise at an average annual rate of 17 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year' to meet its climate goals, which is 'more than 40 per cent faster than it has since 2009'. It concerns me that, despite this advice, the government has not put a halt to new coal and gas extraction projects. Fossil fuel production in Australia is projected to grow through to 2030. How can this be consistent with the government's ambitions? Scientific evidence tells us that fossil fuels must stay in the ground for the world to remain within the bounds of irreversible global warming. Yet in Australia we seem intent on writing our own version of the truth.

Right now in New South Wales, Australian fossil fuel company Santos has federal and state approval to develop a new coal seam gas field on over 95,000 hectares of the Pilliga state forest and privately owned farmland south-west of Narrabri, which is in northern New South Wales. Pilliga Forest is recognised as one of the most important areas for biodiversity in eastern Australia. It is home to at least 300 native animal species and more than 900 plant species and is the largest remaining area of native forest west of the Great Dividing Range. Pilliga sits on top of the Great Artesian Basin, one of the largest artesian water basins in the country. The multibillion-dollar Narrabri Gas Project includes the drilling of 850 gas wells and a gas pipeline which will run from Narrabri to Newcastle. Around each one of these 850 wells, a piece of land the size of a football field will be cleared. Liverpool Plains and Pilliga Gas Projects desperately need federal intervention, not approval.

If the government is serious about meeting Australia's ambitious climate targets with real action, projects like this cannot simply be given a green light without significant national scrutiny. The tabling of the first Annual Climate Change Statement is indeed a historic moment, but now is the time for embracing the independent advice and stepping up to the challenge of faster action on climate. Thank you.

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