Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the issue of the introduction of Commonwealth Marine Protected Areas in my electorate of Paterson. I will start by making it clear that I support better fishery management. I am a keen recreational fisherman and formerly operated a fishing charter and diving business. So I have seen our marine habitats firsthand and I want them protected.

I have spoken to thousands of fishermen, both recreational and commercial, and they all know that their livelihoods and their sport rest on a quality marine environment. Sustainable, healthy fish stocks are critical for the survival of commercial fishermen, tourist operators and others who make their living on or beside the ocean. They respect their catch. That is why bag limits are agreed to, actively promoted and rigorously followed. Those in the business know this. However, they also know that it is simply not necessary to lock them out of huge areas of coastline.

Consultation must occur if we are to strike the right balance. This cannot happen if the Labor-Greens alliance continues to lock locals out of the debate. Marine parks legislation will impact almost everyone, from the commercial operator through to the pensioner who likes to cast a line with their grandkids. It is vital we get this right. That is why I have held three open meetings on the issue recently, attended by hundreds of angry people. My community is furious that the Gillard Labor government has not bothered to host its own meetings to hear from those who actually know the area.

That anger was perpetuated earlier this year when the former Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, wrote to the Newcastle Herald that he had:

… held seven meetings with a range of commercial and recreational groups in the Newcastle region (more than 60 individuals attended).

If Mr Garrett spoke to 60 people at seven meetings, that is an average of less than nine people per meeting. Considering hundreds showed up to my meetings, I must wonder about Labor’s exclusive guest list. Perhaps it is simply that those who do not agree with the proposals are not welcome in Labor talks.

The Gillard Labor government has left many of my community’s questions unanswered, questions such as: why does the park commence north of Sydney and not in Sydney, one of the most highly populated areas in the country? Another unanswered question is: if large areas of ocean are declared ‘no take’, won’t other areas be overfished? Prime Minister Gillard should have learnt her lesson about consultation when Labor rushed to ban the fishing of mako and porbeagle sharks, even though those species are prolific in Australian waters, only to have that ban overturned months later thanks to the coalition and the fishing community.

Before voters went to the election in August, the ALP promoted itself as an independent party despite knowing it would need Greens support to form government. Now that the Labor-Greens alliance has been formalised, the government must explain to voters what its intentions are. Labor has repeatedly said that its marine parks are not a done deal. On the other hand, the Greens website openly states that members want:

… a Comprehensive, Adequate and Representative (CAR) system of marine reserves in both Commonwealth and state and territory waters.

The website also states that the Greens will:

… ensure that the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas program has legislated targets of a minimum of 30% ‘no take’ areas per bioregion by 2012.

My concern is that, since Labor needs the Greens to hold government, marine parks could be introduced regardless of the detriment to businesses, recreational fishing and tourism successes. My constituents are also concerned that Labor will put its deal with the Greens ahead of their interests, and they spoke clearly on 21 August by failing to deliver in Paterson the same swing towards the Greens that occurred nationally.

As we have seen with state marine parks, there are still questions as to the effectiveness of ‘no-take’ areas. As the Coffs Coast Advocate reported on 8 September, former head of New South Wales Fisheries Research, Professor Bob Kearney, said:

The greatest threats to marine life, coral reefs and fish species don’t come from fishers; they come from on-land activities.

Further, the Keneally government has recently conducted a review to draft the Marine parks strategic research framework 2010-15. The framework sets a new direction for research and monitoring within state marine parks. We will not know the results for five years.

If the Labor-Greens alliance is to introduce marine protected areas then it must make science and consultation its absolute priority. Proper research combined with real-life expertise is the only way to ensure our coastal environments are properly maintained. Huge marine parks based on romanticised ideas rather than proper science will never, ever work.