Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Morrison government is taking measures to reduce emissions in a cost-effective way which does not constrain Australia's competitiveness or limit our economic development. Greenhouse emissions in Australia at the end of 2020 were 19 per cent lower than they were in 2005 and are now at their lowest level since 1995. Since 2019, Australia has deployed renewable energy 10 times faster than the global average and four times faster per capita than Europe or the United States. One in four houses in Australia has rooftop solar, more than anywhere else in the world.

Moore is an electorate with 17 kilometres of pristine coastline and beaches. As our suburbs are located near a maritime shipping route, the port of Fremantle, our health is impacted by unregulated shipping emissions. Western Australian ports are visited by 8,000 ships per year. Shipping accounts for three per cent of global emissions, 14 per cent of world sulphur dioxide pollution, nitrous oxide and extensive particulate matter. It is estimated that 60,000 deaths per year have pollutants as a causing factor globally.

We have a great opportunity to utilise Australian liquefied natural gas to power the maritime vessels exporting our resources, thus creating the world's cleanest commodity exports. In using LNG, we can reduce shipping carbon dioxide emissions by 13 per cent, cause 100 per cent reduction in nitrous and sulphur dioxide and particulates, which means no black clouds of soot, reducing the environmental health risk to our population.

According to BE&R Consulting, each large carrier ship that has transitioned from heavy fuel oil to LNG will take the equivalent of 6,000 cars off the road. If all of the 8,000 ships operating out of WA are converted, that equates to 58 million cars taken off the road—25 times more cars than are in our entire state. I am advocating for sustainable energy solutions for our country through the implementation of an emissions control area around Australia in which shipping will be regulated and required to utilise clean marine fuel, saving the environment and creating new jobs through the growth of a new maritime LNG industry. Currently, according to the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel, there are 199 LNG fuelled ships in operation around the world, with a further 298 LNG fuelled ships on order and 93 ports around the globe supplying LNG fuel. The infrastructure we build today can be future-proofed to be able to utilise zero-carbon fuels. (Time expired)