Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Tourism) Share this | Hansard source

The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Amendment Bill 2021 ensures that a number of nationally significant sites in the Sydney Harbour area will remain publicly owned and managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust. The legislation will enable the Harbour Trust to operate as an ongoing entity, as a Commonwealth statutory authority. This is key to ensuring that the assets of the trust, the 11 sites of historical, environmental and Indigenous cultural significance, remain under the control of the Commonwealth in perpetuity. Preserving the sites is in the public interest. They hold stories of our past, however dark at times, and our nation's cultural, industrial and military history.

The bill also updates long-term lease and licence provisions to maintain strong controls of trust lands, consistent with community feedback on the need to protect these lands from detrimental commercial interests and ensure continued public access is guaranteed. We are pleased that the government has agreed to our suggestion regarding community consultation on any proposed leases of longer duration. Any further activities proposed for trust sites, including commercial, must be compliant with the act's objectives of public access and amenity. Across all 11 sites, the trust welcomes 1.8 million visitors each and every year.

The bill also revises eligibility requirements for Harbour Trust board appointments. This measure will help ensure members are suitably skilled in forward planning and local government engagement and encourage First Nations representation. Updating the threshold above which ministerial approval of contracts is required will assist the trust in making operational decisions in a timely manner.

Labor will always stand to protect Australia's natural heritage. We also recognise the need for greater understanding and recognition of the very significant First Nations cultural heritage across the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust estate. As my colleague the member for Fremantle said in the other place:

Labor supports the imperative to deliver greater emphasis and recognition of the very significant First Nations cultural heritage contained in the site.

We urge the trust to make this a priority going forward.

The members for Sydney and Grayndler have been strong advocates for proper Commonwealth protection and management of these sites. It was only in 2020 that the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust turned down a proposal to privatise Cockatoo Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The plan would have required a grant for a whole-of-island lease. As Labor leader Anthony Albanese said of the proposal:

Sydney Harbour is a national asset … a precious resource, not a plaything for corporate interests.

The work of Tom Uren, sometimes called the father of Sydney Harbour, is evident in the establishment of the Australian Heritage Commission and in his dedication to extending and preserving public access to the foreshores of Sydney Harbour. Mr Uren, a former federal Labor deputy leader and the Minister for Urban and Regional Development in the Whitlam government, spoke often of the value of our world renowned harbour:

There is such a gentleness about Sydney Harbour, such a softness. There are important parts in the river systems that surround our Sydney that are still in near pristine state. It hurts you when you see the scars inflicted by insensitive developers. The harbour is more than a jewel—it is Sydney's heart.

We recognise Tom's vision and his contribution to the conservation of the Sydney Harbour foreshore. He was a tireless campaigner and advocate for the preservation of these beautiful areas so that they may be available to all residents and visitors.

Labor support the purpose of this legislation. We will look out for funding announcements or a plan from the government to address the shortfall between the $40.6 million in the 2020 budget and the $164 million value of outstanding restoration works on trust sites. I commend the bill to the Senate.