Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is of course an exceptional, quite incredible, environmental asset for the people of Queensland and indeed Australia. As I have said on the record a number of times, probably the most significant single isolated environmental achievement of the previous coalition government was the decision to significantly expand the areas within the marine park covered by protection. People may not realise it, but the marine park is not 100 per cent protected. There are a range of different zones within the park, and previously the area within the marine park that was fully protected was quite small. That has now been increased—with varying degrees of protection from full protection to intermediate protection—to quite significant amounts. That has meant an extra responsibility on the marine park authority to ensure the full management of those expanded areas of protection. As you increase the number of protected areas you of course increase the need to monitor whether activity within those areas is legal and appropriate.

There is ample scientific evidence to demonstrate that significantly increasing the areas that are protected within a marine park dramatically improves not just the overall ecological health, which is the core aim, but also the resilience of not just the reef but also the marine park, more broadly, from external factors such as climate change, pollution coming from the land, the impact of tourism and the like. It also, for those who are interested in fish stocks, increases the overall stocks of fish that are available. It was politically difficult for the former government to expand the amount of protected areas within the marine park, and they should be congratulated for having done so. Flowing on from that is ensuring that the resourcing and powers of the marine park authority are adequate to ensure that the full benefit of that rezoning is achieved.

I reinforce the need to look not just to the ecological values of the marine park but also to the cultural values. I am very disappointed that the board of the marine park authority no longer has an automatic requirement for an Indigenous representative. That was a legislative change made in the dying days of the previous government and one that I was very disappointed to see. It was done, I must say, without very much consultation at all. That does not mean that there is no ability for an Indigenous person to be on the board, and I hope that still applies with future appointments to the board. But it also places a greater onus on the authority and related people, including the federal government, to ensure that the authority does better in all its various agencies and consultative bodies in working with traditional owners and Indigenous peoples all the way through the marine park and coastal areas. And, with an area that large, there are very large numbers of different traditional owner groups.

I also once again highlight the arguments that have been put forward by a number of groups, including those that helped provide the intellectual and scientific basis for expanding the protected areas within the marine park, to also look at further expanding the areas and size of the marine park or having a separate marine park in the Coral Sea. I think there is a very strong argument for this. It reflects a private senator’s bill that I and Senator McLucas have put forward in the past to expand the area that is protected through the marine park to expand the zone that is protected from exploitation and from oil and gas exploration. This would create the world’s largest marine sanctuary and would be a valuable ecological contribution. It would further enhance resilience against climate change and would further build on the work that has already been done. So, as a Queenslander, I repeat my call for greater protection not just for the Barrier Reef Marine Park but also for areas further to the east in the Coral Sea. (Time expired)

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also want to make a couple of remarks on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and to congratulate the authority for the work that it has done over a long period of time. I also want to draw the Senate’s attention to the significant effort the Liberal Party and Liberal governments have put into saving one of Australia’s iconic natural assets. The reef authority was set up under previous Liberal governments and it was Liberal governments that saved Fraser Island many years ago. So two of the very special natural iconic features of my own state of Queensland are places that have been protected and preserved by Liberal governments in the past. As Senator Bartlett generously mentioned, our government did take a lot of flak—and a lot of flak from our own side, I might say—on some extensions to the marine park that occurred last year. I have some hesitations about the way that was done, and I do not want to rehash things that are now over and finished. The compensation paid to fishermen was appropriate but is getting very large.

All of that aside, we certainly do have a great natural asset in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. I would be very interested to see, now that Senator McLucas is a senior member of the government, whether the marine park is extended into the Coral Sea, as Senator Bartlett just reminded us. I think, as with many things in the Labor Party, it was pretty easy for them to make fairly attractive statements in opposition but now they are in government they have many things to look at. They are finding it much more difficult to actually meet their rhetoric. So I look with interest, Senator McLucas, at your proposal for the extension of the marine park. I will be very interested to see Mr Garrett and the Treasurer bringing that issue forward.

The marine park authority now has a skills based board. I think that the board in recent times has been a very good one. Until recently it was well led by Virginia Chadwick. I wish Virginia well in her retirement. This report that we are discussing today was delivered during her term as Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. I wish Dr Russell Reichelt every success as he now takes on the leadership role in the authority.

The authority does fabulous work in protecting and preserving the reef—not just for conservation’s sake; fishing is still an important industry in the reef area and that should never be forgotten. Of course, the tourism industry in my state of Queensland is, to a very large degree, dependent on the Great Barrier Reef, and huge amounts of employment are created by tourist activities on the Great Barrier Reef. The challenge is always to make sure that you can exploit the Great Barrier Reef in a commercial way through tourism but at the same time ensure that it is protected and preserved, and that the human footprint does not in any way take away from the very fragile ecology of the reef.

There is a concern about global warming and the impact it will have on the reef. I am no scientist but it is certainly something that we have to be very careful of. The reef is a living organism; it is something that I would hope would change with nature. As I say, that is more a matter for the scientists. But I do know that it is a matter that the park authority board are very carefully monitoring at this time and doing what they can to ensure that this great icon of Australia continues in all its glory for centuries to come.

Guy Barnett (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McLucas, before you proceed, I just indicate to you that you have approximately two minutes before the end of this segment of the Senate proceedings.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for your assistance, Mr Acting Deputy President. In that case I will just go to one question, and that is the private member’s bill that Senator Bartlett and I moved in this place—and this is for your benefit, Senator Macdonald. The private member’s bill that we moved did not extend the marine park authority area. I am astonished that you have forgotten that, or do you prefer—

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I did not take a great deal of notice of your private member’s bill.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am sure the people of North Queensland would be interested to know that you probably still support oil drilling in the area east of the Great Barrier Reef. But let us be very clear: the private member’s bill that was moved by Senator Bartlett and me extended the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park region, not the marine park area. There is a very significant difference in the management regime that would be required if the region was extended, because the region is not an extension of the marine park. That means that an extension to the exclusive economic zone of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park region does not change the management regime in any way. It was purposefully done because it is a very sensible solution to ensuring that the former government could not continue with oil drilling to the area east of Townsville that was proposed under the former Liberal-National Party government—to the very great concern of the tourism industry, the conservation sector and, to be frank, all North Queenslanders. It was a proposal that was well received in North Queensland, and I am sure you know that Senator Macdonald. That is why I need to clarify for the Senate—

John Hogg (Queensland, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Correct, not clarify.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are correct—not clarify; I need to correct Senator Macdonald’s comments so that the Senate is properly informed.

The Acting Deputy President:

Order! The time allotted for this debate has expired.

Jan McLucas (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.