Mark Furner (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to contribute to this matter of public importance debate this afternoon. I find it humorous that those opposite go around like Chicken Little saying that the world is going to end if we take action on climate change. They say that our tourism industry is going to be affected, but the truth of the matter is that if we do not take action there will not be an industry in this area.

I represent the beautiful state of Queensland. When I left Brisbane on Sunday—in fact, I had an opportunity to spend a little bit of time down the Gold Coast before I left where it was a beautiful 32 degrees—people were heading to the beaches for what seemed like the start of summer, because that is what people do in the sunshine state. But the impact of climate change is causing sea levels to rise and inaction could mean our golden coastlines, which attract people from all around the world, will be eroded away.

It is stories like these which compel our government to take action. I have been on various committees investigating climate change legislation. We have heard from climate scientists who say that we need to do something. Who are we to argue with those who have the qualifications and who have dedicated their working lives to studying this issue?

In 2009, I was privileged to visit the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre in North Queensland. This centre delivers the Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility under the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities program. One of the important tasks of this facility is to research the effect of climate change in North Queensland. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and it is the only living organism visible from space. It follows the Queensland coast from Bundaberg to Cape York and covers more than 350,000 square kilometres. It is home to more than 4,000 mollusc species, 1,500 fish species, dugongs, turtles and whales. It is worth more than $6 billion to our economy and supports more than 50,000 jobs. This is all at risk because those opposite are not prepared to come on board and take action on climate change.

While I was at the MTSRF I was told about a program they had initiated with researchers from the University of Queensland, James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science to study the genetic basis of common coral species to see how it would be impacted by temperature increases. I was informed that, if the Great Barrier Reef was to survive, temperature increases had to be contained to within two to three degrees. Scientists have predicted that the sea surface temperatures could rise by up to three degrees by 2100. This is why we need to take action. Those opposite say they support free enterprise and the individual. How are they going to support these people when they lose their livelihoods?

In the summers of 1997-98 and 2001-02 more than 50 per cent of the reef was affected by coral bleaching which caused lasting damage in five per cent of the reef. The Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency said an increase in sea surface temperature of two degrees could bleach 97 per cent of the reef. They also said:

This is likely to diminish the ability of corals to recover and adapt, seriously threatening the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority also stated that:

… waters are predicted to become more acidic with even relatively small increases in ocean acidity decreasing the capacity of corals to build skeletons and therefore create habitat for reef biodiversity in general.

One species which would be severely affected by climate change is the green sea turtle. The MTSRF claimed that rising temperatures will affect the sex ratio of turtles. A study was conducted on the largest green sea turtle population, which is found in the Great Barrier Reef. A former James Cook University PhD student, Dr Mariana Fuentes, who has also written a children's book about sea turtles called Myrtle's Battle Against Climate Change, said:

Sea turtles are particularly vulnerable to climate change, because they have life history traits strongly tied to environmental variables and nest in coastal areas vulnerable to sea level rise and cyclonic activities.

Dr Fuentes has indicated that the temperature of sand affects the sex of baby turtles, and warmer temperatures mean more females. Her research said that the sex ratio of this population would skew towards females by 2070 and nesting areas may be inundated by rising sea levels. This information is alarming and concerning and is exactly why we need to do something about climate change.

But our tourism industry and our fauna are not alone when it comes to the impact of climate change. Humans are no exception. It has been predicted by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency that we could see the number of days with temperatures of 35 degrees or higher in Brisbane increase from one day a year to 21 days a year by 2100.