Dave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment, and I share the confidence my colleagues expressed in Australia's future. Will the minister outline to the House how the Morrison government is working to make this future even better through its plans for a cleaner environment and its approach to waste reduction, and is the minister aware of any alternative approaches?

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a pleasure to take a question from the member for Wentworth, who's very credentialed to deliver that message of confidence in our economy. Australia's iconic environment is part of our national identity but can only be protected and preserved through a strong economy. It's only possible with the investment that this government is delivering.

Our 2019-20 budget and our plan for a cleaner environment will support practical, meaningful action through a range of commitments, including our $100 million Environment Restoration Fund, which supports major projects that deliver long-lasting conservation benefits: river restoration, threatened species safe havens and targeted funding to recover species at risk. Our Communities Environment Program provides $150,000 for each electorate. We're extending this program to Labor; there are no other policies from Labor to support and protect the environment. We've included them in the Communities Environment Program—and we know that you're very thankful, backbenchers, for that.

Just this week we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty, and I announced a further $58.8 million towards the construction of a paved runway at the Davis research station. This reaffirms our $2.2 billion commitment to our Antarctic Program. How could that possibly be delivered without the strength of the economy that this government presides over?

We've extended the number of Indigenous protected areas from 75 to 87, and those Indigenous protected areas deliver important environmental, economic, social and cultural outcomes. Our Recycling Investment Plan is all about generating a circular economy within Australia, remanufacturing, driving investment and creating new jobs, because, for every 10,000 tonnes of waste, you create at least nine new jobs. I haven't even touched on landcare, on marine parks and on threatened species and turning around the trajectory of some of our endangered species. From a perspective of alternative policies—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Labor Party are very noisy. From a perspective of alternative policies, we've had to go way back to cash for clunkers, to the green start loans—loans that never happened—to a $50 reward card that was never delivered to any business. It's beyond the memory of most of the Labor Party members sitting in this House, but there is no policy for the environment from them. We're supporting our conservation volunteers. We're supporting our farmers. We're supporting our cutting-edge environmental scientists. We're protecting the environment, strengthening the economy and building a better Australia.