Dana Wortley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Climate change and its devastating impacts now and into the future—including rising sea levels—are indeed matters of public importance. The Australian people recognise that. The Rudd Labor government recognise that.

In November 2007 Labor was asked by voters across the nation to, among other things, take on the mounting task of addressing climate change. Frustrated by years of inaction by the climate change sceptics—many of whom still sit opposite us—pulling the strings of Australia’s environmental policy, the Australian people spoke out at the ballot box. Since this government took office, tackling the very real and increasing threat of climate change has been a very high priority. The first act of the Prime Minister was to sign the ratification of the Kyoto protocol. Unlike those opposite, we acknowledge that climate change poses threats to our environment, our economy and our society. Unlike those opposite, we believe that Australia must take responsibility for our contribution to climate change and that we must act to reduce it.

This government has committed to dramatically cutting Australia’s greenhouse emissions and it is working with households, schools, communities, businesses and primary industries to reduce carbon pollution and adjust to the inevitable impact of climate change. The government has taken a seat at the world table, for the first time, in a collaborative effort to find global solutions to this global problem. The government has been working to support green jobs and investment now and into the future. The government introduced into this parliament legislation that could have brought into law a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme—legislation that would have put the brakes on Australia’s rising greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, in August, the Greens sided with the Liberals and the Nationals to vote down the CPRS.

The matter of public importance today relates to a report handed down by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts and this government’s climate change policies and targets. The report of the committee, Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now, includes 47 recommendations. From what I know of the report to date, it makes for sobering reading. Even a snippet from its introduction is unequivocal. I quote:

Firstly, many thousands of kilometres of the Australian coastline have been identified as at risk from the threat of rising sea levels and extreme weather events due to the impacts of climate change. The concentration of Australia’s population and infrastructure along the coast makes our nation particularly vulnerable to the coastal erosion and inundation that will accompany increases in sea level.

The government do not shy away from this report or from its findings, as daunting as they may seem—quite the contrary. As the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong, said this morning on radio 2UE, we called for it. In fact, instigating this inquiry was one of our first steps in advancing a national approach to coastal policy. The government believe such a national coastal adaptation response is needed, and the Commonwealth has been working with the states and territories through COAG towards this end. We are already investing in a range of initiatives as part of our efforts to adapt to the climate change consequences we cannot avoid, in coastal areas and elsewhere. Such investments include the $12.9 billion Water for the Future plan and the $200 million Reef Rescue package. Of course, this committee report will be further examined and its recommendations considered in the light of what the government can act on and how the report will inform future policy. The Commonwealth will work with state and territory governments, coastal councils, natural resource management groups and other experts in developing a response to the report. As Minister Wong said today:

This is a report which confirms why we have to act on climate change. It confirms the sorts of impacts that we risk, and demonstrates yet again why we have to act as a nation to reduce our contribution to climate change.

... the committee has looked at a range of scientific opinion and has come to a view about the sort of risk we face from sea level rise. ... I think it is quite clear from the consensus science that this is one of the consequences of climate change and we simply can’t ignore it.

And we would be, I think, irresponsible as politicians, as community leaders, to just pretend that these risks don’t exist.

Indeed, this report is the latest in a long and growing list of examples of the negative results of climate change. As committee chair, Labor’s Jennie George MP, writes in her foreword, after an 18 month inquiry with 28 public hearings and 100 submissions:

It’s one thing to read about the science but another to see first hand, as we did, the obvious and early negative consequences of climate change on our coastal zone.

Ms George also says of the inquiry:

One clear message emerged—and that is the need for national leadership in managing our precious coastal zone in the context of climate change. I am optimistic that the Australian government will meet that challenge. Indeed, many of the initiatives already instituted by the Department of Climate Change head in that direction.

As we have been reminded since the release of this report, approximately 80 per cent of Australians live near the coast and more than 700,000 homes and businesses are within three kilometres of the coast where elevation is below five metres above sea level. Unlike those opposite, this government recognises the threat of rising sea levels. We recognise that Australia’s coastline is vulnerable to climate change due to our population concentration and the natural and built assets in those areas. We acknowledge that some of these areas have faced rapid population growth; they have suffered catchment degradation and have been subject to inappropriate development, all of which have made them susceptible. That is why, among other things, we are undertaking a $25 million assessment of coastal vulnerability. This national coastal vulnerability assessment will look at the threats to our coastline, its cities, towns and infrastructure, and its biodiversity. It will consider the environmental, economic and social impacts of anticipated sea level rise, extreme storms and other climate change events. In doing so, this assessment—due for release soon—will give us a better understanding of the risks and identify the priority areas for research and investment.

After the release of this assessment, the government has committed to holding a national forum through which to develop a national coastal adaptation agenda. True to form, the opposition would rather do nothing than act on the threat of rising sea levels. On being asked by a journalist today about the need to pass an emissions trading scheme sooner rather than later due to the risk posed to coastal homes and businesses by rising sea levels, Mr Tony Abbott MP said:

When it comes to rising sea levels I’m alert but I can’t say that I’m particularly alarmed. The fact is that sea levels have risen along the NSW coast by more than 20 centimetres over the last century. Has anyone noticed it? No they haven’t. Obviously an 80 centimetre rise in sea levels would be more serious but I’m confident that we have the resources to cope.

Let us be thankful that this government is far more proactive than that. We are committed to working with local communities to address specific coastal challenges. In addition to the national coastal vulnerability assessment, our Caring for Our Coasts policy includes collaboration with coastal groups, academics, and state, territory and local governments to develop a blueprint for coastal towns and cities, enabling them to meet present-day and predicted climate change challenges. We are updating and upgrading the Disaster Mitigation Australia Package to take climate change weather events into account. We are investigating $100 million over five years in the Community Coastcare program— (Time expired)