David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I inform the House that I have received a copy of a resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory on 16 February 2006 relating to foreign fishing incursions in Northern Australia. I do not propose to read the resolution to the House. Copies have been placed on the table and the full text will be recorded in the Votes and Proceedings and Hansard.

The resolution read as follows—

That this Assembly—

(a)

express its serious concern about increasing illegal foreign fishing incursions in our waters and foreign nationals establishing camps throughout northern Australia;

(b)

note that these increasing incursions threaten not only the sustainability of our shark and other fisheries, but place our bio-security and national sovereignty at great risk;

(c)

call upon the Commonwealth government to agree to fund the expansion of the indigenous Marine Ranger program throughout northern Australia as a matter of urgency;

(d)

call upon the Prime Minister to personally convene an urgent summit of all relevant Ministers and stakeholders to develop a National Strategy to combat foreign fishing vessel incursions throughout northern Australia, noting that actions by a raft of federal agencies have thus far failed to deter illegal incursions; and

(e)

through the office of the Speaker, forward the terms of this motion and associated debate to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Commonwealth Parliament.

Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, can I move that the House take note of the paper?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am informing the House.