Fraser Anning (Queensland, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on Senator Pratt's disallowance motion. Australia is a global leader when it comes to ensuring the ongoing health of our marine ecosystems. Our marine protected areas cover one-third of the world's existing marine conservation parks, which amounts to some 3.3 million square kilometres. Thirty-six per cent of Australian waters are included in marine parks—leaps and bounds ahead of the World Conservation Congress resolution calling for 30 per cent by 2020.

As a senator for Queensland I can tell you that Queenslanders know the importance of managing our resources for future generations. However, this management cannot be done through large sweeping decrees issued in isolation without consultation. These management plans represent a clear move towards outcome based management and decision-making, where each decision made balances enabling the use of the marine areas with the need to protect natural, cultural and heritage values, which I acknowledge the minister for ensuring. However, in the past we have also seen decisions made that do not balance use with protection. We have seen ideological zeal and environmental activism trump a commonsense approach.

If these plans were to be disallowed, it would mean many more years of uncertainty for not only the Queensland commercial fishing sector but also recreational fishers and the many businesses within our state's tourism industry. We would see no additional marine protected areas for several years—most likely much longer—unlike the additional 200,000 square kilometres of sea floor protected under this plan. A future government would be required to go through the entire process again, adding to uncertainty within the many industries that rely on our marine areas. There would be a need for more public consultation and more submissions—that is if future governments don't just enact sweeping restrictions, as has happened in the past.

This disallowance is the complete disregard of three years worth of consultation and independent scientific review, 130,000 written submissions and numerous public forums. It is the complete rejection of almost 650,000 Queensland recreational fishers, the complete disregard of 1,500 Queensland commercial fishing boats—boats which contribute 10 per cent of the nation's seafood production in both quantity and value—and, finally, the complete failure of many industries who rely on our marine areas for their wellbeing. As such, I'll be voting against this disallowance motion.