Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the most important gifts we can give our children is a good education, and I'm so proud of the wonderful work done by the schools across my electorate in Wentworth. That's why I was delighted to welcome primary and secondary school students to my office in the last few weeks to hear about their experiences and, most importantly, understand what the things are that matter to them most so I can have the voice of young people in this House.

They told me about the need for strong action on climate so that the next generation can enjoy our beautiful, diverse and inspiring planet. They talked to me about the need for cleaner, faster and more accessible public transport so that young people can actually access and have the freedom they deserve in the community. Young women told me about the importance of gender equality and about female opportunities in work and how important that was for them as they were growing up. They talked about the need to foster inclusion and belonging so that everyone, no matter who they are, has a place in our society.

Most of all, we talked about the importance of kindness in politics and in our day-to-day lives. It was best summed up by one fifth grader who said that, when he was starting kindy, he didn't know anyone and he felt really scared, and then another child said to him, 'Do you want to play with me?' And that made all the difference to how he felt that day. It was a powerful reminder of the need for kindness and decency, both in how we conduct our politics and in the decisions we make in this place.

I'd like to thank all the schools that took part: St Andrew's school, Cranbrook prep, Bondi Public School, Waverley College, St Francis of Assisi school, Kambala, WAYS Secondary, and my old school, Ascham. These sessions reinforced to me the vital importance of making sure that every family has access to high-quality education and, in particular, high-quality public education if they want it. That is why I'm especially proud to be working with my colleague Alex Greenwich, the member for Sydney in the New South Wales parliament, in our push to improve access to great educational choices in Sydney's east. I'm excited to see that the New South Wales government has been listening and is opening a review into eastern suburbs public education, and I'll be working with my families in the community and with others around the community to make sure our community's voice is heard.

My community in Wentworth is passionate about protecting our environment and our climate. One of the areas which they are deeply concerned about is native forest logging, an unsustainable and uneconomic practice that is hindering our efforts to tackle climate change and is putting national treasures like the koala at risk.

Every year Australia logs around two per cent of our native forests. This deprives our country and our planet of a powerful carbon sink. Forestry experts estimate that it also generates emissions of around 15 megatons annually, roughly equivalent to the emissions needed annually to reach Australia's 43 per cent emissions reduction target. Cutting down trees is not good climate policy, and it needs to stop. But, beyond the climate impacts, continued large-scale logging activities put biodiversity and our treasured national heritage at risk. Australia already has the shameful accolade of being the mammal extinction capital of the world, and, if we continue to destroy our native forests, we will lose national treasures like the koala and the great glider forever.

The Samuel review identified the need to take urgent action on native forest logging and regional forest agreements under which most of this activity is governed. I support such action. The good news is that we can do this in a way that also benefits our economy. In the southern parts of my home state of New South Wales, stopping the logging of native forests and transitioning to active forest management and a tourism industry would provide an estimated economic benefit of more than $60 million. I'm therefore delighted to see the government commit at COP 27 to a global partnership to halt deforestation, but this pledge must be followed by action. That means developing a national plan to end native forest logging. It means working with state and territory counterparts to put in place programs that provide employment opportunities in forest management and tourism that ensure that nobody is left behind as part of this transition. And it means ending the counting of forest biomass as a source of renewable energy, because this destroys carbon sinks and generates emissions in the process.

Finally, I'd like to thank the members of Wentworth, and particularly Daniella and Eliana, who have really led my education in the environmental space. Thank you; I am listening.