Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think we need to acknowledge and thank the Minister for the Environment and Water for her pioneering decision to refuse Clive Palmer's coalmine last week. Clive Palmer's coalmine was to be 10 kilometres from the Great Barrier Reef. This project could have had unacceptable and irreparable impacts on the groundwater and fresh water in the area. Furthermore, it could have caused irreversible damage to potentially fragile seagrass meadows that feed dugongs and provide breeding grounds for fish just off the coast. This government went to the election with a strong commitment to fix the nine years of neglect of the Liberals towards the environment and climate change. I know that, for my electorate of Bennelong, environmental issues were at the top of their minds when they voted last May. This is the first time a minister has used this power, and I thank her for it. She could not ignore the potential environmental impacts of a project like this and the genuine risk of pollution and irreversible damage to the Great Barrier Reef. The reef is not only a crucial and fragile ecosystem, but it is an incredibly important part of our national economy. More than $6 billion annually is contributed to the economy from the reef, and around 64,000 jobs are created by it. This decision not only benefits our environment, but it also benefits all those small-business owners who rely upon a healthy and vibrant Great Barrier Reef. Under this government and under this minister, the environment is back on the agenda, and Bennelong welcomes it.

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