Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the recent United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decision not to list the Great Barrier Reef as in danger;

(2) notes that the Government is tackling climate change and protection of the Great Barrier Reef to make a real difference, including action that has:

(a) invested a record $1.2 billion in the reef;

(b) legislated to reach net zero, with a 43 per cent emissions reduction target in 2035, and committed to reaching 82 per cent renewable energy supply by 2030;

(c) invested $150 million to improve water quality through projects such as revegetation, grazing management and engineering work like gully stabilisation;

(d) with the Queensland Government, announced the phase-out of gillnets in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park with a $160 million package;

(e) rejected a coal mine that could have direct impacts on the reef;

(f) engaged more Indigenous rangers to manage sea country, including combatting crown of thorns starfish outbreaks, marine plastics and ghost nets;

(g) withdrawn federal funding for dams that would have had a detrimental impact on reef water quality;

(h) invested an extra $163.4 million in the May 2023 budget to guarantee the future of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, doubling funding for reef science; and

(i) committed to rewriting Australia's broken environmental laws; and

(3) confirms that UNESCO's decision makes clear that Australia's environmental policies have fundamentally changed under this Government and changed for the better.

Today I rise to address a critical issue of both national and global importance: the safeguarding of our Great Barrier Reef. It's a remarkable natural wonder, spanning over 2,300 kilometres. This vast and diverse ecosystem, comprising over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, is not only a cherished part of our national heritage but also a global example and symbol of biodiversity. I commend UNESCO's recent decision to not classify the Great Barrier Reef as in danger. This reflects the effective environmental policies implemented by the Albanese government since the coalition circus was sent packing. These policies, crafted and executed under the leadership of our Minister for the Environment and Water, demonstrate our commitment to combating climate change, enhancing water quality and promoting sustainable fishing. These efforts have significantly strengthened the resilience and sustainability of the reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is more than just a marine park and a tourist destination. It's an irreplaceable ecosystem, an indicator of our planet's health and a source of inspiration for scientists, nature enthusiasts and Indigenous peoples alike—and something that every Far North Queenslander is proud of. I say that as I'm married to one. And I note in passing the death of my magnificent sister-in-law Robyn Boulton last Thursday. I will be going back to Cairns on Friday for her funeral.

Regrettably, the previous Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments neglected the reef's plight. They were terms in office marked by inaction and a lack of substantive measures. This neglect led to severe coral bleaching events, a consequence of global warming, while the scientific warnings about the reef's deteriorating health were largely ignored.

The coalition government's lack of effective action has had significant repercussions. The reef, a biodiversity hotspot, supports thousands of unique species and is integral to the livelihoods of over 64,000 Australians, contributing $6.4 billion annually to our economy, mainly through tourism. However the reef's value extends beyond economics, embodying deep cultural significance for the traditional owners who have stewarded these lands and seas for millennia. The Labor Party has consistently recognised the reef as both an ecological wonder and a bellwether for global environmental issues. Our commitment to its preservation is evident in our history of decisive action and forward-thinking policy. The establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority by the Whitlam government in the early 1970s marked a significant conservation milestone, especially in light of Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen's efforts at the time. Subsequent Labor governments have upheld this legacy, with the reef's designation as a World Heritage site in 1981 and the expansion of marine protected areas under the Rudd and Gillard administrations.

But our history is not just one of conservation; it's also one of adaptation and innovation. We've pioneered research and monitoring efforts to understand the impacts of climate change on the reef and have sought to address the root causes of its decline. It is the Labor Party that has continually placed the health of the reef at the forefront of our climate policies, understanding the inextricable link between the two. We've fought for strong action on climate change not only as a moral imperative but as a critical measure for the reef's survival. The current government's commitment to the reef and the challenge of climate change is evident in our actions. We've allocated a record $1.2 billion for comprehensive reef management and conservation, aiming to protect its unique marine life. We've set ambitious goals, including a 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2035 and achieving 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030. These initiatives underline our resolve to address climate change, which is the most significant long-term threat to the reef.

Our efforts extend to improving water quality, with $150 million dedicated to critical projects, and phasing out gillnets in collaboration with the Queensland government, supported by a $160 million package. We've opposed harmful industrial and mining projects and enhanced the role of Indigenous rangers in managing sea country. We also withdrew funding from dam projects that would negatively impact on reef water quality. In May this year, we doubled funding for the Australian Institute of Marine Science to bolster reef science, a testament to our evidence based approach. UNESCO's decision acknowledges the positive shift in Australia's environmental policies under Labor's governance. Obviously there's more work to be done. It's a call to intensify our efforts so that we protect the reef for our children and our children's children. It's a vital ecological asset and a great economic driver.

Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. The international community, including UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee, has shone a spotlight on our country's management of the Great Barrier Reef for more than a decade. In 2022, UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature made 22 recommendations to our governments to help retain the reef's World Heritage status. Those recommendations include improving our climate policies and emissions targets, improving water quality, stopping tree clearing in reef catchments and restoring coastal wetlands. The Australian and Queensland governments must now make good on those recommendations.

I want to focus today on the three major threats facing the reef identified by that report. The first is the threat of rapidly heating waters caused by climate change. Climate change is the biggest threat to our reef. Since 2016, the reef has suffered from four mass bleaching events. Corals are very sensitive to temperature changes. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that, if we allow global warming to reach two degrees, we will lose 99 per cent of our coral reefs.

The government's current target of 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 is in line with two degrees of warming, with loss of 99 per cent of the world's coral reefs. Therefore, the single most important action this government can take to protect the Great Barrier Reef is to increase its emissions reduction target to 75 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2035 and to halt all new fossil fuel projects—coal mining, fracking and offshore oil and gas exploration.

The second major threat to the reef comes from water pollution from poor land management practices. Run-off from agricultural land includes nitrogen from excess fertiliser and sediment from overgrazing and land and tree clearing. Pesticides, nitrogen and phosphorus gel contribute to algal blooms and, subsequently, to uncontrolled spread of the crown-of-thorns starfish, which is responsible for more than 40 per cent of the reef's 3.4 per cent per year of coral decline. Sediment can smother both coral and the seagrass beds that marine life, such as threatened dugongs, depend upon. Both starfish and the sediment contribute to poor water quality, and they are major threats to the reef.

While Australia has set targets to reduce sediment and nitrogen running into the reef's waters, we are nowhere near meeting those targets. In September 2023, the World Heritage Committee again expressed serious concern regarding this delay. It has accepted the recommendation from UNESCO to give Australia until February 2024 to show progress on actions to protect the Great Barrier Reef, but we remain on notice. Government investment must be targeted towards those places that need it most. Now is the time for a major shift in the government's water quality programs, to focus on landscape restoration in the biggest pollution hot spots for the reef. Now is the time for a plan for how this government will tackle nitrogen from fertiliser use.

The third major threat comes from unsustainable commercial fishing. This is a major threat to the reef and to endangered wildlife. The Australian and Queensland governments have committed $160 million to remove all commercial gillnet licences by 2027, with most being removed this year, to create new net-free zones in areas of critical habitat. They have also undertaken to legislate for and implement independent monitoring of high-risk fishing activities. These commitments will reduce the risks of commercial fishing to iconic threatened species on the reef. They must be delivered within the committed time frames.

As a country we must soon report back to UNESCO on our progress in better protecting the Great Barrier Reef. That wonderful reef faces the fight of its life, a fight set to get harder with climate change and the forthcoming El Nino event. We must protect this unique national treasure for the sake of the reef itself, for the sake of the $6.4 billion tourism industry and for the sake of the 64,000 jobs that it supports.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support this important motion and thank the member for Moreton, my fellow Queenslander from the class of 2007, for it and acknowledge his longstanding passion and commitment to the environment and action on climate change.

In September, the World Heritage Committee decided not to list the Great Barrier Reef as 'in danger'. This confirmed the draft decision from UNESCO handed down in August, which cited 'significant progress' being made on climate change, water quality and sustainable fishing, which will all put the reef on a stronger and more sustainable path.

This is a very good outcome and particularly welcome news in regional communities in Queensland, where the Great Barrier Reef supports local jobs and local economies. It injects about $6.4 billion into state and regional economies every year through tourism and other income, and it's estimated to support about 64,000 jobs, most of which are in regional towns along the length of the eastern coast of Queensland, as well as cafes, restaurants, hotels and, of course, a flotilla of reef boats. There wouldn't be a Queenslander who hasn't enjoyed the Great Barrier Reef. I think it's a fantastic place to visit. So it's important not only for the environment but for the economy in my home state of Queensland. It's important for our national economy as well—64,000 jobs is a lot of jobs both in Queensland and nationally.

It confirms that the Albanese Labor government, together with the Palaszczuk Labor government—in my home state of Queensland—is acting on climate change and working hard to protect the reef and that the rest of the world has taken notice.

Of course, this decision that was made recently doesn't mean that the reef is in the clear; it won't deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement. Every coral reef in the world will be vulnerable if we don't take action on climate change. But it just confirms that the Labor government's policy, at both levels, is making a difference.

The coalition really didn't care about the reef. They refused to take action on climate change, and, again, that changed with the change of government last year. A decision was made clear, and Australia's environmental policies were fundamentally changed under Labor and for better. In fact, around that time we understand sources close to UNESCO told the French newspaper Le Monde that on climate change and the environment: 'the approach from the Australian government has completely changed.'

Between the new government and the old one, it's a bit like night and day.

Or, as President Macron might say: 'I don't think Australia has a better climate policy now. I know.'

Since coming to office, the government has hit the ground running, tackling climate change and the protection of the Great Barrier Reef, investing a record $1.2 billion in the reef and delivering a raft of measures on climate change, water quality and sustainable fishing, which this motion sets out. In fact, just last week the Minister for the Environment and Water was in Cairns announcing an extra $50 million to improve water quality on the reef, bringing our total investment to $200 million. The UNESCO and World Heritage Committee decision makes clear Australia's environmental policies have fundamentally changed under this government and changed for the better.

The coalition's appalling track record on climate change and the environment showed they really didn't care. The Liberal and National parties put the reef at risk for a decade and did so by their failure on climate change policy, and they continue to demonstrate disregard for it. There are so many people sitting on the opposition benches that don't believe humans have any impact on the environment, let alone any impact on climate change. Well, that's all changed under this government. We actually believe in the science. We don't believe in the mythology that those opposite believe in. Seriously, they should look at science and be governed by expert advice in this area.

I can assure you that farmers in my electorate believe strongly in climate change. They really do, because they see the impact on their properties and their grazing lands and their crops each and every day. The National Farmers Federation and other agricultural groups, tourism groups and the business community have been way ahead of those opposite when it comes to taking action on climate change.

I heard the difference between the European assessment of us as a government and the European assessment of the last government during two parliamentary delegations in the last two years. European hosts and government officials from countries like Belgium, the EU, France, Sweden and the UK all recognised that under this government Australia is once again serious about taking action on climate change. This government will support Australia's special places and the plants and animals that call it home. We'll always support the Australians who rely on a healthy environment for jobs and, what's more, our policies will make a difference.

Again, because of environmental, cultural and economic importance, the government, in consultation with science, industry, conservation and other experts, will take strong action to protect the reef. The motion talks about recognising the importance of our partners, agencies and stakeholders, and we'll continue to work with the business community and the Palaszczuk government to protect our reef, and that's very important. It's the planet's natural wonder.

Phillip Thompson (Herbert, Liberal National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians and people from around the world love the Great Barrier Reef. Its natural beauty, its diverse marine wildlife and its protection of our northern east coastline are not to be taken for granted. But the inclusion of the phase out of gillnet fishing in this motion is falsely tying this ill-informed decision to the protection of the reef. We just heard from a member of parliament who lives in Ipswich, and before that we had the member for Moreton, who brought forward this bill. They don't live near the Great Barrier Reef, and it's clear they haven't done much fishing or spoken to any local fishers. You can't net the reef; you can't put a net over the top of the Great Barrier Reef. For one simple reason: it will cut the net to pieces. So, to say that you need to ban gillnet fishing to save the Great Barrier Reef is false, is misleading and makes clear that the government hasn't consulted anyone locally who works on the reef, any fishers that are out there, or anyone that supports this.

In June this year, the Minister for the Environment and Water made the decision to phase out N2 and N4 fishing licences by 31 December 2023. Since the announcement, I've been strongly advocating to press pause so that proper community consultation can take place. Imagine that—a government consulting the people it's going to affect. We were promised that at the last election, but, once again, it's another broken promise by this Labor government.

I wrote to both the Minister for the Environment and Water and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and put forward several recommendations, including the immediate commencement of community consultation. How is this for playing the blame game? The Labor Minister for the Environment and Water passed the buck off to one of her bureaucrats, who then referred responsibility to the state Labor minister. He didn't bother to respond at all. He refuses to even talk to the community or the media about what's going on. Talk about pointing the finger and letting the community down. The lack of responsibility over what is supposedly a joint initiative is dumbfounding. How can you completely destroy an industry without so much as answering basic questions?

In the last sitting period, the coalition government moved a motion for a formal inquiry into the adoption of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee policy directives. This was, of course, blocked by the Albanese Labor government and their Greens mates. If you don't want to be questioned over a policy, that is a clear indicator of what sort of policy it is. It's one which they know they don't have any good answers for. So, instead of answering basic questions, what do those opposite do? They put forward this tricky motion that is nothing but a false promotion of their decision to phase out a low-impact fishing technique and destroy the Australian seafood industry. I'll ask again. Where do the fishers go? What do people like Dr Andrew Tobin do? He is the owner of a net license, retail shop and seafood truck. He delivers fish and wild-caught seafood across north-west Queensland. With this phase-out, he is set to lose it all. Out of everything that he's set to lose, what will he get compensation for? His licence, and his license only. Never mind the seafood truck, the retail shop or the impact on the sales.

I've said it before, and I will say it again: this phase-out is cutting off the hand that feeds the industry, resulting in the loss of jobs and the closure of businesses that rely on this source of seafood product. Our fishing industry is already heavily regulated, with all commercial fishers keeping well-documented logbooks with up-to-the-minute information. All vessels are equipped with satellites for the purpose of monitoring their movement and communication. But both ministers don't understand their portfolios when they think fishing with a net on the reef is even possible, like I said at the start. This is the complete and utter nonsense coming out of this Labor federal government, as well as the Labor state government in Queensland. The sheer incompetence to think that a net can go over the reef just shows they have spent no time out there, and to see the blame game and the pointing of the fingers is disgraceful. I call on both state and federal ministers to get out there and speak with locals on the ground.

Warren Entsch (Leichhardt, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on this motion. While I stand here amidst a chorus of self-congratulations by those opposite, I must lend a voice to reason and reality. The government has presented a litany of supposed achievements concerning the Great Barrier Reef, yet it seems that their memory is conveniently very, very selective, forgetting that many of these accomplishments did not magically materialise within the last election cycle.

It was under the guidance and stewardship of the previous government that we have record investment in the Great Barrier Reef. It was us who initiated the Reef 2050 Plan and established the role of the Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, a position I was very honoured to hold and to discharge dutifully. We catalysed partnership with tourism operators to gather data and undertake restoration efforts on the reef, an innovative approach that leveraged downtime and supported the industry during the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the reef envoy, I released compelling six-monthly reports that advocated strongly for increased support in the reef within key agencies like GBRMPA and AIMS. Sadly, this is a practice that seems to have dramatically waned under the current government's Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, Senator Green, who's had only one single—and frankly lacklustre—report in her name since she was appointed into the role nearly 18 months ago. Government likes to tout its achievements with great flair, but we must ask: where is the continuation of critical work that we began—the work to combat the leaching of nitrogen and phosphorus from the effluent flows from the coastal cities on the eastern seaboard, the ground work that was laid for essential steps to improve water quality? We're ready to go, but they've seemingly been dropped from this government's agenda.

Another credible hallmark of the previous government was the establishment of the Indigenous Rangers Program. It's been an incredibly successful program, and it has expanded widely. We provided funding for the first purpose-built vessel to the Yirrganydji rangers—another testament to our commitment to Indigenous led conservation. Despite the government's claims of enhancing their environmental efforts, what they really mean to say is that they are proactively decimating the local fishing industry. If they weren't so wet behind the years, they would know that this only serves to hurt local people, local businesses and, of course, the environment.

Australia has some of the best managed fisheries and some of the greatest protected places in the world, and the government's short-sighted attack on gillnet fishing will only open up a path for illegal and less sustainable options to flood the market. They would rather sideline a sustainable local fishing industry in favour of imports from economies which, at best, have very dubious environmental and sustainability practices. It's a decision that demonstrates a stark lack of understanding and an unwillingness to engage with industry stakeholders, like the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, as well as affected local generational fishers. It clearly illustrates that this government's preference is to choose perception over reality.

We must not allow this narrative to be distorted. The current government are attempting to build on foundations laid by their predecessors, on initiatives that we pioneered, yet they seem all too eager to claim these successes as their own. In truth, the trajectory of improvement in the stewardship of the Great Barrier Reef began well before their term, and any suggestion to the contrary is simply, to put it bluntly, an attempt to rewrite history. While I acknowledge the steps that have been taken, I cannot condone the grandstanding that suggests that these are new paths forged by the current government. The reef's guardianship is not a political game; it is a profound responsibility.

We must continue this mission with honesty, humility and respect for those who have toiled before us. Governments of the present and future have an important responsibility to secure the future health of the Great Barrier Reef. We must appreciate the many thousands of people who work and live on the Great Barrier Reef and who will help us to achieve this goal, and it's through their work and their expertise that we are fortunate enough to have the best managed reefs in the world. We must work together so that all Australians will continue to enjoy this marvellous wonder now and into the future. We are so lucky to have this in our own backyard.

Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next day of sitting.