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

I, and also on behalf of Senator O'Sullivan, move:

That the Senate acknowledges that—

(a) on 5 July 2017, the World Heritage Committee unanimously endorsed Australia's Reef 2050 Plan and the progress made to implement this plan;

(b) the decision recognises Australia's significant efforts and investment in the early and effective implementation of the Reef 2050 Plan; and

(c) the World Heritage Committee has not put the Great Barrier Reef on its in-danger 'watchlist'.

And I note the good news about the UN's determination of that plan.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) 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.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor has no option but to oppose this motion, because it claims that the Reef 2050 plan is being delivered early. This government is not delivering early for the environment or for the reef. This government is failing on climate change, and the Liberal National Party in Queensland voted against reef protections aimed at limiting tree clearing. The Liberal-National Party chose to protect its mates who want to bulldoze trees and native vegetation, rather than protecting Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef. It isn't the fault of the state government in Queensland that land-clearing regulations haven't been updated. This position that damages the reef by increased sediment run-off from land to the reef is being championed by the Liberal-National Party. The Queensland government put in legislation to strengthen land-clearing laws to halt the broadscale clearing of remnant vegetation which is destroying key wildlife habitat and contributing to climate change, but the Liberal-National Party voted against the legislation and reef protection. At the time, Labor in Queensland made it clear that the Liberal-National Party have abandoned the reef plan and that the Palaszczuk government remains 100 per cent committed to it. (Time expired)

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party) 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

I don't think the Manager of Opposition Business actually read the motion. It doesn't say what she says it says. All it says is the Senate acknowledges that the World Heritage Committee of the UN endorsed Australia's Reef 2050 Plan and progress made to implement the plan. So, that's been endorsed by the UN. The decision recognises Australia's significant efforts and investment in an early and effective implementation of the Reef 2050 Plan. Again, we're just asking to note that this is what the UN has said. Also, the motion says that the World Heritage Committee—and we particularly want people to note—has not put the Great Barrier Reef on its endangered watch list. That's what we're asking the Senate to note.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Janet Rice (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The arrogance of Senator Macdonald and Senator O'Sullivan's motion today is gobsmacking. Yes, desperate lobbying by the Australian government has managed to avoid the down-listing of the Great Barrier Reef. But here's what the World Heritage Committee and advisory bodies also had to say:

Climate change remains the most significant overall threat to the future of the property. It is recommended that the Committee express its serious concern at the coral bleaching and mortality that occurred in 2016 … their scale serves to underline the severity of the threat to the property from climate change.

This government, hand in hand with the Queensland state government, will approve any coalmine, frack any basin and dredge any port if it means more money for their mates in the fossil-fuel industry. Right now, we're seeing them rush headlong into giving $1 billion of taxpayers' money away to the Adani coalmine. There is no plan from this government to deal with climate change, and therefore there is no plan from this government to protect the Great Barrier Reef. (Time expired)

Question negatived.