Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

In the time available, on the broader question of consultation, which Senator Boswell raised in the first question, I can inform the Senate that the north and north-west consultations include public information sessions across Darwin, Perth and elsewhere. The development of the management arrangements is an important part of the process of establishing Commonwealth marine reserves. The development of the management plans involves two rounds of statutory public consultation and that occurs after the reserves have been proclaimed. So the reserves have to be proclaimed first, then the public consultation occurs. The south-east marine reserve network, which we are both interested in and which was established by the former government in 2007, is being managed under arrangements developed in close consultation with the commercial fishing industry. These arrangements offer a sound basis— (Time expired)