Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, my questions will be from someone who lives and works alongside the Great Barrier Reef. I have a series of questions that I would like to put to you. Can you walk me through your response to the World Heritage Committee's listing, that the reef is not in danger? Obviously, as someone who lives alongside the Great Barrier Reef, we were very proud of the result that we got out of that. I would like your official response to that for my people at home. I am very proud to have participated in the reef 2050 plan, or the long-term sustainability plan. Could you give me some perspective on how that was received by the World Heritage Committee and how we are going to progress those things?

I am also after some perspective from you, Minister, in relation to the Great Barrier Reef and particularly as a working reef. I understand the nature of the challenges that we have as a working reef from farming communities and with ports and all of that sort of thing. Could you tell the people in my electorate of Herbert and the people of Townsville which government banned the disposal of capital dredge spoil on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park? From my recollection—correct me if I am wrong—in 2011 the World Heritage Committee first raised alarm bells about capital dredge spoil. Could you walk me through the actual extent of what we were facing in 2011? I know that the Campbell Newman state LNP government did rationalise a lot of the work that was going to be done that was proposed under the Anna Bligh Labor government. Could you walk me through those things?

Could you give me your perspective on how real the actual scale of what we were facing was and—I know that you were the shadow minister at that time—how seriously you considered that, and how much has changed between then and 7 September 2013? I do also note that the total amount committed to the Reef Trust is $140 million; I am very proud of that as well. What kinds of projects will this money be spent on? What is the total amount that Australia is investing to protect the reef into the future and how will my city benefit from it?

On a final personal note, Townsville city councillor Pat Ernst has been onto me, and I have spoken to you briefly about this: we live alongside the Great Barrier Reef and we are a reasonably large city of around 190-200,000 people. Our water management, sewage treatment and all of that sort of thing, when it goes out to the ocean, requires substantially extra capital expenditure because we live alongside the Great Barrier Reef. We benefit from the reef greatly, but Australia benefits from the reef greatly. Would you be able to give me some pointers on that; and can I ask you to commit that next time you are in Townsville—and I am not bunging it on you right now—you will meet with my council, in particular Councillor Pat Ernst and my mayor, Jenny Hill, to discuss the issues that we see into the future in this field, and how the federal government may be able to assist?

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