Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

There remain outstanding licences that the minister for resources, Senator Canavan, would be better to speak of, in terms of exploration licences that exist in the Great Australian Bight. The Commonwealth believes that we can effectively protect our marine parks and marine sanctuaries while also enabling economic activity to occur, that we can get the balance right from the Turnbull government to protect our environment through the high standards applied by agencies such as NOPSEMA while encouraging exploration and investment activity that can, of course, lead to the creation of greater wealth and further job opportunities. We will not be taking a backward step in relation to encouraging firms and others to undertake exploration activities that can lead to job creation, as long as they meet the tough environmental standards that are already in place, that BP was being held to and that any other investor or licence holder in this area will be equally held to in the future.