Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I think it is really appropriate that this report follows the previous report looking at the role of science for fisheries and aquaculture, because the report that we have before us today which is looking at biodiversity and climate change actually links into that science. The committee did this in Northern Queensland, and I will touch on that a little bit later in my contribution to this debate. This report looks at biodiversity and climate change and looks at it in relation to ecosystems. One of those ecosystems is terrestrial, marine and freshwater biodiversity, and that very much links into the science. It looks at connectivity between ecosystems and biodiversity loss from the impact of human communities, enhancing climate change adaption, sustainable use of natural resources, ecosystems and the adequate current governance arrangements and enhanced community engagement. This particular report deals with the committee's visits to Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Northern Queensland.

When the committee visited Victoria, we visited various sites in and around Melbourne and we also visited the Melbourne Museum. Some very significant submissions and evidence taken by the committee were from BirdLife Australia. They highlighted the importance and impact that climate change was having on bird life in that state. The committee also visited the history museum and looked at the importance of that museum in collecting and disseminating information. We had representatives from the Melbourne Museum and BirdLife Australia, and they talked about the collaboration and cooperation that takes place between them and other organisations. It was great to see the way children and families actively engaged in interaction within the Melbourne Museum when looking at biodiversity related exhibitions. It was very pleasing to note that the awareness of biodiversity and climate change among those young people was very impressive.

One of the most important and impressive aspects of out visit there was when we met and learnt about citizen science and how it is working to increase local expertise. It has amateur scientists within the broader community feeding back into those more recognised scientific institutions. It gave the committee a lot of insight into the way you can adopt a best-practice approach to collecting information involving the community and how that contributes to the overall body of scientific information. BirdLife Australia have played an enormous and very important role. They have several projects to help improve the resilience of bird populations and help them adapt to climate change. One is Shorebirds 2020. This is a project to raise community awareness of the importance of tidal ecosystems and it seeks protection for those shorebirds because climate change does have an impact on them. Woodland Birds for Biodiversity looks at improving on-the-ground management and protection of woodland habitats. Beach-Nesting Birds focuses on the improved management of beach nesting with climate change and rising sea levels. We were able to see these impacts when the committee visited those areas. So there is a range of existing stressors that impact on birds and their habitats. One of those stressors is climate change. It made the committee realise the complexities that are associated with conserving birdlife, particularly shore birdlife. The committee decided that we would expect even greater challenges in relation to bird species, considering the impact that climate change is having.

The next area that the committee visited was South Australia. As members know—including you, Madam Deputy Speaker, being a South Australian—it is the driest inhabited part of the continent. We looked at the impact on the Coorong and the Lower Lakes in the Murray mouth region. One of the really outstanding inspections that the committee made was at the mouth of the Murray. We visited the communities that had been very badly affected by the drought, climate change and all the other issues around the Murray-Darling area. We saw the changes that have taken place in the area. It was very impressive to see the way the community had worked together and the initiatives that had been taken to address some of the catastrophic problems they have in the area. I am very pleased to see the legislation before the parliament this week. It is very important legislation to you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

We also visited the Greenfields Wetlands in the city of Salisbury. We saw some of the initiatives that they had put in place at the Salisbury wetland. We looked at the benefits of the wetland, including the frogs, the froglets and the little wetland creatures. The committee received documents on the management of mosquitoes, stormwater treatment, harvesting stormwater and monitoring water quality. That gave us an insight into the groundbreaking project that Salisbury council had implemented in that area. We learnt about the social and cultural impacts and the need to have functioning wetlands and functioning river systems. The inspections in South Australia focused on freshwater biodiversity and underlined the impacts that diversity has in that region. It was time very well spent.

The committee then visited Kakadu in the Northern Territory. All members know the importance of the wetlands in Kakadu. It is a nationally important ecosystem. The committee was lucky to look at those iconic wetlands. We saw high biodiversity and the national value of those wetlands. The landforms and habitats in the park included sandstone plateaus, escarpments, extensive areas of savanna woodland, open forest, floodplains, mangroves, tidal mudflats, and coastal and monsoon forest areas. It is such diverse area with a series of very complex issues to confront to ensure that it maintains its current resilience and is able to fight the impact of climate change along with all those other issues that are having an impact on the park.

I think it is important that I mention the impact that invasive weeds have across all areas and the impact of invasive weeds that are associated with climate change. Weeds that would not have existed in some areas previously now flourish due to the impact of climate change.

When we were at Kakadu, the managers of the park highlighted the need for a dynamic specific ecosystem. The particular relationship that exists in Kakadu with its joint ownership also creates some challenges. But I believe that it really adds to the special aspects of Kakadu. Following that, the committee went to North Queensland and visited Townsville. We looked at the vulnerability of marine and coral ecosystems. It was interesting to hear the last debate because it was about science and fishing. One of the things that was really highlighted to the committee was how climate change is having a big impact in that area. You can look at the impact on coral, you can look at the impact on fishing and you can look at the impact on the wet tropics. All the information that the committee received highlighted that climate change is impacting on the biodiversity of that region. We looked at invasive species and how they are leading to species decline. I touched on that briefly a moment ago when I mentioned invasive weeds. We saw that there has been a spread of myrtle rust. That is a great concern in the wet tropics, as it is in other areas of Australia.

Throughout North Queensland the committee heard about current and future effects that increased temperatures and levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide will have on the local ecosystems. We also looked at ocean acidification and the impact that that will have on the reef's ecosystem. We met with the university and the reef authority. There are a number of concerns in that area that show that we really need to take action to ensure the long-term sustainability of biodiversity in that very important area.

Both Kakadu and the Great Barrier Reef are iconic areas in Australia. They are areas that we as a nation need to ensure are protected. We need to ensure that the biodiversity of those areas is protected. That can only happen if we take action now and look at addressing the impact that climate change has on biodiversity.

I conclude by saying that this is a very, very important report. This is something that goes to the iconic nature of Australia, which is something that we as a nation need to protect. The last thing I would like to mention is that the committee also received evidence from people about the changes to the EPBC Act and the need to make sure that any change does not impact on our biodiversity. I commend the report to the House.

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