Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Is the minister aware that the Coral Sea marine reserve will force other commercial operators to close their doors and that AFMA cost recovery fees for the area of $270,000 will soon be borne by as few as three operators? Has the government given consideration that the increase in the financial burden for the remaining operators, who face fees potentially as high as $90,000, coupled with restricted access to the Coral Sea, will result in them simply becoming unviable and will force them to shut down?