Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I'm glad the member for Clark has given me the opportunity to stand up and talk about the environment, the work and the commitment of our Labor government, and everything that we're doing to protect our country. The environment is now finally at the front and centre of the federal government's agenda, and the election of the Albanese Labor government has not come a moment too soon for the environment, particularly in my hometown in the Northern Territory. Right now, bushfires are burning in the Barkly, with over a million hectares of land being touched by fires. Fires have sporadically been burning along the MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs. Our climate is changing and our environment needs to be protected, and this federal government is deeply attuned to that fact.

A key measure of protecting and supporting our environment, which is of huge importance in Lingiari, is the work we are doing to support Indigenous rangers. Rangers are a huge part of the Northern Territory's environmental and economic fabric. In a challenging economic environment, across sparse and diverse landscapes, rangers provide important and meaningful employment opportunities for remote communities. Through the Nature Repair Market, introduced by the Albanese government, I already know of many local Aboriginal corporations who are looking to invest in Indigenous ranger programs. Aboriginal people have tens of thousands of years of experience managing our land and sea country. With the environmental reforms, particularly the NRM, communities will be able to create industry and economic development out bush, utilising their ancient knowledge to navigate a modern economy.

One group in the Territory doing great work on this is the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation, which is encouraging innovation and providing support to communities trying to diversify local economies. The Aboriginal Carbon Foundation is working with a number of groups and private industry to transform communities. The Nature Repair Market will provide a federal policy framework in which they can continue to expand this work. Land councils are doing important work in this space of environmental management and Indigenous rangers. I have been privileged to work with hundreds of our Indigenous rangers. The work they do on a daily basis is critical, and it's meaningful.

I was also lucky enough to travel to Groote Island and meet with the Anindilyakwa Land Council and the rangers there. The Anindilyakwa rangers are doing really important work, particularly when it comes to protecting sea country. While I was on Groote, I saw huge amounts of ghost nets and plastic being pulled from our oceans. These nets absolutely wreak havoc on our oceans, trapping and killing wildlife and destroying coral ecosystems. I was able, thanks to our environment minister, to announce grant funding for the Anindilyakwa rangers to expand their work, including for a cutting-edge new vessel. I know that the ALC and the rangers were extremely grateful to the Albanese government for their focus on and commitment to environmental protection and Indigenous rangers.

Another group I visited with the Minister for the Environment and Water was the Mutitjulu Tjakura rangers and the Kaltukatjara rangers in Katiti-Petermann and Mutitjulu. These ranger groups are doing really important work close to and alongside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. They are removing buffel grass, undertaking cultural burns, monitoring threatened species and caring for country. One of the ranger supervisors told us of the difference these programs were making for men. But I also want to quickly acknowledge the Country Needs People association and the work, development and support they are doing with strong women on country, like the Thamarrurr women's ranger program in Port Keats, to look after country and provide employment for the women.

Labor knows Australia's environmental laws are broken. The coalition did the review in 2019. They sat on the outcomes of that report for five years and did nothing. The Minister for the Environment and Water and our government are committed to cleaning up that mess and making sure that we do everything that we can to bring in strong laws to protect our environment and our country.

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