Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Ludwig. Can the minister give a guarantee that as part of the marine bioregional planning process there will be a full socioeconomic impact assessment that identifies the true value to the community as a result of the loss of access to marine parks for commercial and amateur fishermen? Will the minister advise the Senate if the socioeconomic impact assessment for each of the proposed marine parks will be publicly released prior to the declaration of any park?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Boswell for his question. I know he remains interested in the bioregional planning process. The Senate would be aware that Australia has made an international commitment to establish a representative network of marine reserves by 2012. This policy does fall under the responsibility of Minister Burke, but I will come back to the Senate if Minister Burke wants to add anything further to this response.

The government is conducting a transparent process that includes meaningful consultation with all stakeholders and a comprehensive socioeconomic evaluation of research of reserve proposals. While the benefits of marine reserves are certainly substantial, they are not necessarily felt by the people who experience the impacts of creating them. A socioeconomic assessment of each regional marine reserve network proposal is being conducted in parallel with public consultation on the proposals. The assessment is being conducted by ABARES. It is the government's intention to release a socioeconomic analysis of each final marine reserve network prior to declaration. The assessment is examining the displacement of fishing effort that would result from the proposed marine reserves and the regional economic impacts. The assessment also includes surveys and analysis of the social and community values and potential impacts associated with the areas under consideration for new reserves.

Turning to the issue of fishing gear assessments, the fishing gear assessments have been conducted for each of the marine regions and independently reviewed by the CSIRO. The risk assessments are one input into the zoning of the proposed marine reserve networks. The risk assessments have identified a range of fishing methods— (Time expired)

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a supplementary question. I thank the minister for that comprehensive answer and ask: will the minister give a total and unequivocal guarantee that trawling in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park will be allowed to continue under World Heritage multi-use agreements?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Boswell for his supplementary question. The marine bioregional plans and marine reserve zoning schemes for areas outside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park do not apply in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, so they are two distinct issues. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is managed under its own legislation. The zoning plan for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is subject to consideration by parliament, as are management plans for other marine reserves. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has already indicated publicly that the outlook report has shown the current zoning plan is working. So, where you ask for a total and unequivocal guarantee that trawling in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park be allowed to continue under the World Heritage multi-use agreement, I bring you back to the issue that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park— (Time expired)

Ron Boswell (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I have a further supplementary question, as the minister was cut off with a couple of words to go. Will the minister assure the Senate there will be no declarations for the marine parks under the current proposals of the bioregional marine park plan prior to an agreement being reached on the management arrangements of these marine reserves with the fishing industry?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In the time available, on the broader question of consultation, which Senator Boswell raised in the first question, I can inform the Senate that the north and north-west consultations include public information sessions across Darwin, Perth and elsewhere. The development of the management arrangements is an important part of the process of establishing Commonwealth marine reserves. The development of the management plans involves two rounds of statutory public consultation and that occurs after the reserves have been proclaimed. So the reserves have to be proclaimed first, then the public consultation occurs. The south-east marine reserve network, which we are both interested in and which was established by the former government in 2007, is being managed under arrangements developed in close consultation with the commercial fishing industry. These arrangements offer a sound basis— (Time expired)