Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Watt) to a question without notice asked by Senator Whish-Wilson today relating to Petroleum Exploration Permit 11 (PEP 11).

There is absolutely no case for drilling for dirty fossil fuels off the beautiful coastline of New South Wales. It will cause irreversible damage to our coast, our oceans and the wonderful marine life that lives within. It is a devastating prospect for our environment and climate, and it will hurt local industries and communities that depend on our oceans and coasts for their livelihoods. Yet today we heard more pathetic excuses for why the federal Labor government won't stop the climate-destroying PEP-11 project.

Let me remind you what Prime Minister Albanese promised in the lead-up to the last federal election: 'A Labor government that I lead will rule out PEP-11.' He also said that PEP-11 doesn't make sense 'from an economic, environmental or energy perspective.' In parliament he stood up and said that PEP-11 'should be consigned to the dustbin of history, where it belongs.' He said, 'This is a complete no-brainer.'

It doesn't happen often, but, on this, I could not agree more with the Prime Minister. What is the Prime Minister waiting for? In the middle of a climate crisis, there is no excuse to drill for offshore gas under PEP-11 when we know that burning gas will only make things worse. As we sit on the cusp of a climate catastrophe, why hasn't the Prime Minister finally rejected PEP-11 as he so emphatically promised before the election? Is this a promise he intends to keep, or has the fossil fuel lobby got to him again to approve yet another climate-destroying project?

PEP-11 opens up the door to dangerous projects and is universally opposed by communities from Newcastle and Lake Macquarie through to the Central Coast and from the northern beaches of Sydney to Manly. From the outset, the Greens and I have campaigned with courageous communities who have been united in their opposition to PEP-11, and I want to give Natasha Deen and Save Our Coast a particular shout-out for their work to protect our climate and oceans. PEP-11 must be rejected in its entirety—no ifs, no buts. Once and for all, reject PEP-11.

Question agreed to.