Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Congratulations, Deputy Speaker Hogan. In the wake of the Turnbull government's savage attacks on marine parks with the largest removal of conservation area ever by any government in the world, I rise today to bring to the House's attention a petition signed by 2,100 people in my electorate about plans to undertake seismic testing off the coast of Newcastle and the Central Coast. Conflicting messages from the state and federal Liberal governments about the impact of seismic testing are causing deep concern in my community. People are worried about this testing and whether it'll cause harm to local marine life and our fishing and tourism sectors. I contacted the federal minister well over a month ago seeking his assurance about the robustness of the approvals process and the safety of seismic testing, but he's yet to respond. I truly hope the minister shows my constituents—these 2,100 people—a little more respect. They deserve nothing less than a full response from this minister. The Turnbull government needs to give an ironclad guarantee that this testing won't hurt Newcastle's precious marine life, or impact on our local fisheries or the tourism industry. Nothing less will suffice.