Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate notes:

(a) that the United States Department of State is hosting the Our Ocean 2016 conference in Washington DC on 15 and 16 September 2016;

(b) that the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ms Bishop) and the Ambassador for the Environment (Mr Suckling) will be representing Australia;

(c) that Australian marine pollution advocate, Mr Tim Silverwood, has been asked to lead a panel on marine pollution at this prestigious gathering of world leaders and influencers;

(d) that a recent World Economic Forum report warned that on current projections there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050; and

(e) the unanimous recommendations of the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee outlining a plan of action for the Federal Government.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government is considering the report Toxic tide: the threat of marine plastic pollution in Australia and will respond to its recommendations soon. We are entirely supportive of the US hosting the Our Ocean conference and of the significant international interest in managing our precious marine resources. The government also applauds the work of individuals such as Tim Silverwood of Take 3. These groups make a real and practical difference to the health of our environment.

We are getting on with the job of protecting our oceans through a range of measures, including investing $700,000 in the last term for marine debris clean-up along the Great Barrier Reef and investing an additional $1 million over three years in organisations that build environmental awareness and take practical action, including Keep Australia Beautiful, Clean Up Australia, Banksia Foundation and Tangaroa Blue.

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What about ghost nets!

Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Ghost nets are certainly a significant issue for marine life, Senator Macdonald. I wanted to thank the government for their kind words about Tim Silverwood, who left for the conference in Washington in the US today. The US Department of State and Senator Kerry asked him to go over and MC a very venerable panel of scientists on what is now one of the biggest pollution issues on our planet—that is, plastics in our ocean. Our ocean is turning into a plastic soup, and we all need to do something about it.

One thing I am hoping Mr Silverwood will talk about when he is at the US conference—and I understand our foreign minister, Hon. Julie Bishop, will also be there representing Australia—is the leadership that he wants Australia to take on this issue. The Senate held an excellent inquiry earlier this year into marine plastics. A number of senators in the chamber are calling on the federal government to take action, if the states will not, on a number of important policy levers, such as a container deposit scheme. I look forward to a positive recommendation from the government in relation to that report.

Question agreed to.