Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

Coastal communities across South Australia depend on the bight's natural resources and environmental value for their quality of life and their livelihoods. The fishing industry and the tourism industry are the backbones of many coastal South Australian towns, and my colleague the candidate for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie, knows that this is well and truly the case. Yet all of this is at risk if deep-sea oil drilling in the bight goes ahead. BP's own environmental modelling indicates that the consequences of an oil spill are catastrophic, and any oil slick would spread hundreds of kilometres in all directions. The fishing industry, the tourism industry, every fish-and-chip shop and every bed and breakfast would be badly affected, if not wiped out, for years. The environmental damage would be disastrous. We cannot risk deep-sea drilling in the bight. Rebekha Sharkie knows this, and her community of Mayo know this, and this is why Centre Alliance will also call upon the government to seek World Heritage listing for the Great Australian Bight.