Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

This statement from the Australian dive industry says—and I will not quote it all but I will quote a little bit of it:

As owners and operators of dive and snorkel businesses across Australia, we have significant concerns about any loss of protection for unique underwater environments through the Abbott Government’s current review of Australia’s network of marine parks and sanctuaries.

It goes on at some length detailing their concerns. At the end it says:

We call on all Members of Federal Parliament to support the health and growth potential of the Australian dive and snorkel industry by retaining and improving Australia’s world-leading network of marine sanctuaries where the industry and science suggests and commencing their operation as soon as possible.

The government have trashed our marine protected areas for the time being; but you would think that, even if they were not interested in protecting marine biodiversity, they would champion a more fiscally responsible approach. But the government have neglected to look at the significant impact that the dive and snorkel industry brings to the Australian economy in the form of tourism. That industry relies on a good system of marine sanctuaries. Protecting marine biodiversity is what this industry depends on.

The Centre for Conservation Geography has estimated that the industry—an industry that is directly threatened if our marine biodiversity is threatened—could be worth as much as $4.2 billion. Bear in mind that Australia has unique marine biodiversity. If you are not interested in protecting the marine environment, how about looking at what that marine environment does for our economy? The government clearly has not looked at that. They clearly did not engage the dive industry in their process of decision making when they got rid of the marine protected areas, reserves and sanctuaries by getting rid of the marine plans.

I share the concerns of the dive industry. I commend this statement to the chamber and I urge the Turnbull government to get a move on with the review and put our world-leading series of marine sanctuaries back in place so that we can be assured that our unique marine biodiversity is protected in perpetuity and that industries that rely on marine protection, like the Australian dive industry, actually have a chance. Not only do we want our marine species and unique environments to continue to exist, we also want these sorts of industries that rely on them to continue to exist.