Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens will be supporting this motion. The Australian Greens opposed this inquiry from the outset. We did so because it was an unwarranted attack on the science underpinning the reef regulations. It was an attack on the dedicated scientists doing the critical work of protecting our reef from the twin threats of the climate emergency and poor water quality. It was an unnecessary diversion of time and resources to continue this government's war on science, rather than supporting the communities who depend on a healthy reef. Our concerns were borne out in the public hearings, as some committee members dismissed expert views and ignored, cherry-picked or wilfully misunderstood the evidence.

Ultimately, the majority of the committee expressed its confidence in the high-quality science underpinning reef management policies, but the aggressively misguided views of some senators undermine community action. Australia has stewardship responsibility for the iconic World Heritage listed reef. The government must not only support our world-class scientific institutions; it must call out uninformed views, act on expert advice— (Time expired)