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

My question is to Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Senator Birmingham. A recent paper in top scientific journal Nature showed that, after three severe mass coral bleachings in just five years, the coral cover of the Great Barrier Reef is now at 50 per cent. Half the corals are dead. Dead coral does not grow back. It's climate change that is the primary cause of that loss. How much of the Great Barrier Reef has to die before this government will adopt a climate policy that isn't written by the fossil fuel industry?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I completely reject the assertion made by Senator Waters at the end of her question there. Our government, consistently, have worked to make sure that Australia has the policies in place to implement the commitments that Australia has made through stage 2 of the Kyoto protocol commitment period, and we now continue to work hard to implement policies necessary to meet our commitments in relation to the Paris Agreement. We have done that recognising that Australia alone doesn't solve the issues in relation to climate change. Australia alone plays a role—

Senator Whish-Wilson interjecting—

I'll take Senator Whish-Wilson's interjection quite happily. The leadership we've shown as a country is the leadership of a nation that makes commitments, delivers on our commitments and exceeds on the delivery of our commitments. We will be quite happy to go anywhere and explain Australia's achievements, the achievements of Australian businesses, of Australian people and of Australian farmers—all of those Australians who have contributed towards reducing Australia's emissions—who have enabled Australia to reduce our emissions by 16.6 per cent since 2005. We have done so knowing that these steps around global cooperation are necessary to tackle issues, including related to the protection of the Great Barrier Reef. We know that Australia alone won't achieve it. But we believe we set a high standard by delivering on our commitments, by exceeding those commitments and by demonstrating to the world that you can do it as a nation, at home—as Australian businesses, households and farmers have successfully done and continue to do.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Waters, a supplementary question?

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

(—) (): Last week, in its three-yearly World Heritage Outlook, the IUCN downgraded the outlook for the Great Barrier Reef to the most severe listing possible, 'critical', due to the threat posed by climate change and water quality. Next year the World Heritage Committee will, once again, consider whether to list the Great Barrier Reef as World Heritage in Danger. This is the last warning that Australia's going to get before a potential 'in danger' listing that would decimate the tourism industry. Will you treat this as a wake-up call or not? (Time expired)

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In addition to the action that Australia has taken on emissions reduction and that we continue to take in collaboration with the rest of the world, we have absolutely acted to invest through our reef plans, in collaboration with the Queensland government, to tackle other threats and challenges to the Great Barrier Reef. We know that sedimentary run-off can and does have a real impact in relation to water quality in the reef, and that's why we've invested in a range of different practical initiatives to be able to support and improve that water quality in the reef, to tackle practical issues like the crown-of-thorns starfish and to ensure that works to minimise and eradicate the impact of crown-of-thorns continue as a result of the types of investments made by our government across a range of different mechanisms to support the reef's health and to ensure it continues to be a crucial asset for Australia and our ecology.

Scott Ryan (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

The reason for both the mass coral deaths and the IUCN outlook of 'critical' is climate change. At 1½ degrees we lose 90 per cent of global coral reefs, and at two degrees we lose all of them. Your government's policies have us on track for 4.4 degrees of warming. When will you adopt strong 2030 targets and an actual climate plan to give the reef any hope of survival?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are a few points here. Firstly, there is the oversimplification by the Australian Greens of the challenges the reef faces. I cited, in my previous answer, issues around water quality and issues around crown-of-thorns starfish. There are real issues in addition to the work to be done on climate change, and we continue to make sure that we tackle all of those issues as part of a comprehensive reef management plan that we have worked, despite political and other differences, with Queensland governments to fund, to implement and to deliver over a period of time.

When it comes to the work around emissions reduction, I again point to the fact that Australia, since 2005, has achieved a 16.6 per cent reduction in our emissions. New Zealand have reduced theirs over a similar period of time by one per cent. Canada has largely flatlined. The OECD average is around nine per cent, so when it comes to domestic emissions reduction Australia stands tall. (Time expired)