Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Brandis, the Minister representing the Prime Minister. I refer to reports released yesterday by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies which show that 67 per cent of the corals in the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef have died after the worst coral bleaching episode, earlier this year, that the reef has ever faced. My question is: when will this government accept that coral bleaching en masse is driven by human induced global warming, and when will you stand up for the 70,000 people whose jobs rely on the reef remaining healthy?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much indeed, Senator Waters. It is a very important question you ask, and I acknowledge your deep interest in the issue. We know that the two biggest threats to the Barrier Reef are climate change and water quality. Reefs around the world have been impacted in recent months by a global coral bleaching event of unprecedented magnitude. The impacts of this event are of deep concern to the Australian government just as they are to the governments responsible for other World Heritage sites impacted by the coral bleaching event.

The reef, however, is also showing resilience. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the best managed, most resilient coral reef ecosystems on the earth.

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

Here! Here!

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I hear Senator Macdonald associating himself with that remark; nobody in this chamber today has had more to do with the Great Barrier Reef over his career in public life than Senator Ian Macdonald. A recent Australian Institute of Marine Science study found that the coral cover increased by 19 per cent across the marine park between 2012 and 2015, nearly doubling in the southern sector due to good early recovery from cyclones and floods. For visitors, the recent surveys show that there are still many reefs throughout the marine park that have abundant living coral, particularly in popular tourism locations such as the Whitsundays, Cairns and Port Douglas, and even further north. The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan needs a strong bipartisan approach to achieve the goals we set ourselves. In the plan, the Australian government and the Queensland government have jointly committed to invest a projected $2 billion over the next 10 years, and the Commonwealth government welcomes the cooperation of the Queensland Labor government. (Time expired)

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

Senator Waters, supplementary question.

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note that the Attorney conveniently avoided my question about the 2016 bleaching event, which was the worst on record. But there are reports today that the draft government response to the World Heritage Committee includes a northern Great Barrier Reef response plan which has no new actions and no new money associated with it. Not only that, but the water quality targets are underfunded by $8 billion. Where are you getting your advice from that this will fix the reef?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, I just told you about the 2050 plan. I just told you that the Australian coalition government and the Queensland government, a Labor government, have jointly committed to investing $2 billion over the next 10 years.

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

Senator Waters, a point of order?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, thanks, Mr President. I just told the Attorney that it is $8 billion short on water quality alone and that no new funds have been dedicated in the northern coral reef response plan. That is my specific question.

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

That is a debating point. There is no point of order.

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I suppose $8 billion is just small change for the Greens! But, nevertheless, this is the investment that we have made jointly with a partner government of $2 billion, which is a very, very substantial sum of money, Senator Waters.

The Commonwealth has backed its commitment with over $460 million in additional program funding through the Department of the Environment and Energy which has been allocated since 2014-15. Of this, nearly $136 million is now with projects that will specifically improve water quality. (Time expired)

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

Senator Waters, a final supplementary question?

Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, thanks, Mr President. When will the Prime Minister stand up to the climate dinosaurs within his own party and in One Nation and finally take meaningful action on climate change to save the reef?

George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Truly, Senator Waters, as I said to you in my response to your initial question, the Australian government accepts that one of the great challenges to the Great Barrier Reef is climate change. I said that to you. That is the Australian government's position. There are some in the government ranks who have a variety of views about climate change, but the position I have outlined to you is the position of the Prime Minister, it is my position, it is the position of the Minister for the Environment and Energy, and it is the position of the Australian government.

I was in the course of telling you what we are doing about the challenges posed to the Great Barrier Reef by the twin issues of climate change and water quality. In addition to the $136 million I just mentioned in relation to programs specifically directed at water quality, there is another $199 million for future Commonwealth projects to protect the reef. (Time expired)