Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I am sure the people of North Queensland would be interested to know that you probably still support oil drilling in the area east of the Great Barrier Reef. But let us be very clear: the private member’s bill that was moved by Senator Bartlett and me extended the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park region, not the marine park area. There is a very significant difference in the management regime that would be required if the region was extended, because the region is not an extension of the marine park. That means that an extension to the exclusive economic zone of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park region does not change the management regime in any way. It was purposefully done because it is a very sensible solution to ensuring that the former government could not continue with oil drilling to the area east of Townsville that was proposed under the former Liberal-National Party government—to the very great concern of the tourism industry, the conservation sector and, to be frank, all North Queenslanders. It was a proposal that was well received in North Queensland, and I am sure you know that Senator Macdonald. That is why I need to clarify for the Senate—