Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Deputy Speaker Freelander, I appreciate you bringing calm to the chamber. I would like to update the Federation Chamber about the budget that has been so well received. In the last two budgets since 2019 there has been $2 billion of new spending on the environment, reflecting this government's deep commitment to secure our incredible natural places not just for now but for generations to come. We will strengthen our economy and create jobs. We will also deliver practical on-the ground outcomes and long-term national reform for our environment. We are building a more resilient and secure Australia. As part of the 2021-22 budget there's $486.3 million in new environmental funding for oceans, biodiversity, recycling and waste, and climate resilience.

Oceans and the Great Barrier Reef feature nationally and internationally. We're investing $100 million in an oceans package that strengthens our global leadership in marine management and ocean protection and that boosts regional employment. It includes $30 million to restore coastal marine ecosystems that draw carbon out of the atmosphere—mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes; $39 million to expand our marine park network into the Indian Ocean and protect 45 per cent of Australian waters; over $11 million to incorporate sea country into Indigenous protected areas across nine locations; and $18 million to target practical actions to protect our iconic marine species.

This builds on the Morrison government's $67 million investment in last year's budget to tackle the impacts of ghost nets and plastic litter, to enhance the management of Australian marine parks and to re-establish oyster reefs all along our coastline. We'll also continue to assist tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef by waiving the environmental management charge for a further 12 months. We know coming out of COVID that the tourism operators that showcase our beautiful natural environment have had some tough times.

I must mention the Australian Climate Service. This service will bring together and analyse information from the Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, informing the work of Emergency Management Australia and the new National Recovery and Resilience Agency. That's nearly $210 million of new money to do something that is genuinely world-leading—to provide the intelligence and localised mapping capability for deep understanding at local communities about the impacts not just of disasters but climate change. You hear the expression 'build back better'. We really mean it with the Australian Climate Service. It will give us the tools and the data that will be vital for the future. It will fill a gap. It will be well respected and I suggest copied internationally.

The assistant minister will talk to the Federation Chamber about our exciting recycling and waste agenda. We're of course investing in the reforms to the EPBC Act. They were backed in in this budget with $9 million to establish and fund the operation of an independent environment assurance commissioner; $2.7 million for a pilot regional plan for a priority development region in partnership with a state or territory, and everyone wants these regional plans to succeed; funding to support stakeholder engagement for Indigenous cultural heritage protection, so necessary after the Juukan Gorge disaster; and $17 million to maintain improved assessment times under the EPBC Act.

We will invest $29 million in additional funding to protect native species and their habitats from invasive pest animals and weeds. It's not the whole substance of our work with threatened species and biodiversity, but it's an important addition because when you get the Commonwealth and states investing at the same time, particularly at the interface between private and public land when it comes to invasive pests, that's when you can get some fantastic results. Working with communities and having their input as well is incredibly important. The new funding complements existing investment in bushfire recovery for native species and habitats, safe havens and the new 10-year Threatened Species Strategy.

The new budget measures are in addition to the Morrison government's continued commitment to the environment in Antarctica, our Recycling Modernisation Fund, the second phase of the National Environmental Science Program—there's $149 million in that—and the continued rollout of our bushfire recovery funding, our heritage funding and our regional land partnerships. Our budget demonstrates our continuing approach to practical on-the-ground action to protect, preserve and enhance our incredible natural environment.

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