Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

I indicate the Democrats support for this amendment. It replicates a piece of legislation that Senator McLucas and I, in joint names, have had before the chamber—so I had better support it or I would be voting against my own bill, in effect. I think she has put the arguments well as to why it is desirable. There is clearly interest in areas outside the current marine park boundaries. Extending the region, which is the criterion that the current prohibitions operate under, would ensure that the sites that have been identified—that are on maps and that are outside the park boundary but would be within the region—are also protected. I think that would be beneficial for a whole lot of reasons. One could also go on about climate change and carbon emissions and the desirability of perhaps not encouraging more oil prospecting and the like, but I will not go down that path at this stage. Suffice to say we support the amendment.