Jim Molan (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am very, very badly overstocked. This is a real problem that we face. In certain areas we are out of balance. In certain areas developments and the presence of human beings have multiplied the availability of water, which has multiplied the kangaroo population. This is not the situation that we face with koalas. But it just illustrates the point that often the presence of human development can go in the opposite direction to what Senator Faruqi is talking about, which then leads to the need to lower that population, normally by very, very violent means. Over the last couple of months I've seen a tendency for wombats to be feeding during the day. I have never seen wombats feeding during the day, but wombats are out around my place feeding through the day—this is a very serious matter we are debating here today—for the simple reason that there is not enough grass for them to feed sufficiently at night.

The notion of this MPI implies that the Commonwealth government is doing nothing. That is not the case. We support the population in New South Wales and we support it along with the state government. We're working through the required legislation to provide sufficient protection for koalas in New South Wales. Currently the Department of the Environment and Energy is leading the development of a recovery plan for koalas in response to the population declines. We intend to manage the issue. We know the problem and we're working to solve it.

The government is working with state authorities, as I said before. The real value of having a Liberal and National government at the federal level and at the state level is that the level of cooperation is very, very high. In New South Wales the plan that we have has a number of elements which will help us to preserve the koala population. This involves creating over 24,000 hectares of new koala reserves and parks. I think that my 20 acres is about eight hectares—Wacka, I think that would be about right. So it's an area slightly larger than what I've got, at 24,000 hectares. There is also increasing wildlife care training, plans for reducing chlamydia amongst koalas and the development of a monitoring program to track populations and their habits, and that's very, very important.

Moreover, the draft of the government's national plan will be open for public consultation. We're not going to do this in secret. We will open that plan up for consultation and suggestion, allowing concerned and relevant parties to contribute to discussion on how best to protect one of our national icons.

Furthermore, this MPI implies that we do not already have existing conservation plans in place. These plans were approved at the time of the koala's listing as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act and guide current strategies to support the koala. Our environmental laws also provide a number of safeguards to protect not just the koalas but all vulnerable species across the country. The department has provided guidelines for proponents and decision-makers on whether a development may impact on the vulnerable koalas and whether government assessment and approval is required.

Really, on this front, this MPI ignores the importance of forestry in continuing to develop our economy. I was fortunate enough to recently visit the Hyne sawmill near Tumbarumba. Their material relies primarily on plantation forests—primarily pine production. Hyne provides an extraordinary example of industrial capacity for a regional town. The jobs and economic impact are considered by the locals to have kept Tumbarumba going at a time when so many rural towns are suffering due to the lack of highly skilled jobs. This industry sustains the town. It brings economic development, young families and money into the economy. This is what the environment is all about. It's about balance. Without the forestry industry in Tumbarumba, the town would likely be dying as young families and workers seek better opportunities elsewhere. Forestry in this aspect is also very efficient. They are extraordinarily advanced—probably as advanced as any forestry industry in the world.

If we badly manage our reactions to shifts in human populations, we risk not just symbols such as the koala but also towns such as Tumbarumba. As such, the government is ensuring that it manages how we conserve koala populations in a way that not only best supports the koala but also supports our rural and regional communities. Liberals, especially farmers, are greenies. We are environmentalists. There is not a lack of action. There is always the need to be balanced, and that's what this government will deliver.