Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. Has the minister personally inspected the damage from the Pacific Adventurer oil slick off the Moreton Bay Islands and the Sunshine Coast? When did his state ministerial colleague Andrew McNamara first contact him? How many briefings has he had as federal environment minister? Have you or Mr McNamara requested that the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, Regional Development and Local Government exercise his power—

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Could I read that last part again, Mr Speaker.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Dutton interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dickson is warned! My concern is that nobody can hear the question. The member for Hinkler has the call.

Paul Neville (Hinkler, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Have you or Mr McNamara requested that the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure, Regional Development and Local Government exercise his considerable powers under the national marine oil contingency plan, and, if so, when?

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question, and I am pleased to be able to advise him, through you, Mr Speaker, that the National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and Hazardous Substances has been activated—it kicks in automatically. It was activated last week, and it is a matter of some concern to me that the member is so poorly informed about this issue and chooses to politicise it in the House. The fact of the matter is that Australia has a national plan to enable effective responses to marine pollution. It is a fact that the Australian Maritime Safety Authority—within my colleague Minister Albanese’s portfolio—manages that national plan. It is also a fact that the Rudd government announced today that it will immediately bring forward $2 million to help local community groups and natural resource management bodies to continue the clean-up of Moreton Bay following last week’s oil spill.

I want to go on and say to the member that I have been in contact not only with my department but also with the Queensland government on this particular issue and that we have looked very closely and carefully at the measures that have been put in place. The Commonwealth response was one which was immediate, constructive and comprehensive. I also want to point out that today my colleague the Attorney-General announced that we will deploy a Royal Australian Navy minehunting vessel to search for 31 fertiliser containers which were lost from the Pacific Adventurer during tropical Cyclone Hamish on 11 March. The Commonwealth’s response has been absolutely clear. We acted immediately and consistently with our responsibilities. I am surprised that a question of this kind would be asked in the House.