Zali Steggall (Warringah, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Through a unified and future-focused approach, Australia can be a super power in an emerging global green economy and protect and incredible and unique environment. I would forgive many of the young people here watching this debate who feel a little bit jaded listening to the hubris we hear on this issue, because there is always blaming the other side and blaming everyone else, when the very topic of this MPI is in fact to put political differences aside and come to this place with a commitment to protect the environment, because we can safeguard the environment for our children. They will inherit it. The degradation of our environment and the escalating impacts of climate change are the worst generational debt any generation has ever left, and that is on all our heads.

Our environment needs us now, not tomorrow, not next term—now. The politicisation of environment policy has resulted in a failure to pass necessary laws, resulting in rapid biodiversity loss and degradation of our environment. This ultimately threatens our society and economy. We depend on the systems for clean air, water, fertile soils, crop pollination, for protection from weather events and for the biodiversity that keeps the whole system working.

In Warringah, residents are passionate about protecting our environment and nature. At every school visit, children ask me to fight for the environment. It is the No. 1 issue. Locally, we celebrate and value our access to our oceans—the protected Cabbage Tree Bay Marine Park Reserve, the Sydney Harbour Trust and the national parks at North Head and Middle Head, as well as protected areas of Manly Dam and Bantry Bay. These areas have a deep historical significance, and community support has driven stronger government protection. Of course, that community support and activism were all the more obvious through the PEP11 campaign, where, ultimately, that strength, dedication and perseverance of communities, environmental groups and local industries saw the government finally reject that licence.

Australia has some of the most unique ecosystems in the world, but they're under threat. My community wants to see greater protection of nature through wildlife corridors and investment in the restoration of nature and biodiversity. The first step must be to stop native forest logging. Members of Labor simply have no credibility in protecting nature by their stated means if they continue to fail to require this within their party room. This has to be a line in the sand—that native forest logging must stop. It makes no sense economically and is quickly driving biodiversity loss.

Everyone has to have the courage also to use existing legislation. The biggest threat to our environment is ultimately our rapidly warming climate. Stop approving fossil fuel projects and extending their licences well beyond 2050. You can't say that you want to protect nature and then continue to make the problem worse. It flies in the face of all expert advice about how we can preserve our environment and biodiversity. Respectfully, as much as you want to point the finger at the Greens and at the coalition, you have not lived up to expectations and promises.

Protecting our environment is woven within First Australians' love and respect of country. Just today, I met with First Nations Australians from the Beetaloo Basin, who discussed the serious concerns their communities have in relation to water because of fracking. They are desperate for the minister for the environment to use the water trigger to call in and investigate the concerns about groundwater availability, water quality and the increased risk of chemical and wastewater spills, but these concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Whilst we have implemented a water trigger in the legislation, the minister has declined to actually action it and use it.

What our future generations need, what children need and what our environment needs is action, not just words and rhetoric in this place. We know that it's not working for communities. A government that cares about safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our communities and is serious about a re-energised and strong economy has to take the protection of nature and biodiversity seriously. This is a must have. Roughly half of our GDP, 49 per cent or some $896 billion, has a dependence on nature. Major industries like agriculture, fisheries, transport, logistics, accommodation and construction will all be impacted if we don't take action. In Western Australia—the ones who we understand have been responsible for blocking some progress—they are exposed to 67% of their gross economic value being dependent on nature.

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