Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

When people around the world talk about Australia, they often talk about our oceans. They talk about our beaches, our reefs, our wildlife and our identity that is shaped by the sea. From the Great Barrier Reef to the Twelve Apostles and from the Ningaloo Coast to the Southern Ocean, many of our most treasured natural wonders are defined by water. Eighty-five per cent of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast. The ocean is not just a feature of our geography; it is fundamental to who we are as a country. But being so deeply connected to the ocean gives Australia a responsibility not just to look at what lies within our borders but to look beyond them.

For too long, the high seas, the 60 per cent of the world's oceans that sits beyond national jurisdiction, have been treated as a lawless frontier, a place of unrestricted extraction, exploitation and neglect. Today, only around one per cent of the global ocean is fully protected. Imagine if we treated our forests or our wetlands with the same disregard. We would never accept it, yet the high seas regulate our climate, store vast amounts of carbon, sustain global biodiversity and generate around half the oxygen we breathe.

Before speaking about the high seas though, it is important to acknowledge the credibility Australia brings to the table. You cannot lead globally if you are failing locally. Under the Albanese Labor government, Australia's environmental record has shifted decisively from a decade of denial and drift to ambition, action and leadership. Labor has protected more than half of Australia's domestic marine environment, making our marine park system one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Just last year Labor expanded the Macquarie Island Marine Park, an area roughly the size of Germany, placing vast ecosystems under high level protection, safeguarding critical habitats for seals, albatrosses and countless other species. We have committed to the global 30 by 30 target, protecting 30 per cent of oceans by 2030, and Australia is well on track.

But the ocean does not recognise jurisdictional boundaries. Migratory species do not stop at maritime borders. If we protect our waters but allow ecosystems beyond them to collapse, our domestic conservation efforts will ultimately fail. That is why the high seas biodiversity treaty and the legislation before the House today is so important. This treaty has been more than 20 years in the making. For decades scientists and diplomats pointed out that while international law governed navigation and seabed resources it failed to adequately protect life itself beyond national borders. In June 2023 the world finally acted. The biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction treaty was adopted, a landmark achievement for multilateralism and environmental governance. Australia was there on day 1. We were a founding signatory when the treaty opened for signature, and in January this year the treaty formally entered into force after reaching the necessary number of ratifications.

This bill provides the domestic legislation required to give effect to this international commitment. It does three critical things. First, it establishes clear rules around marine genetic resources, ensuring transparency and fair benefit sharing so that discoveries of the deep ocean benefit all humanity, not just the most powerful nations. Second, it creates a pathway for establishing marine protected areas on the high seas, giving the global community the ability to say that some places are simply too precious to be exploited. Third, it requires environmental impact assessments for activities undertaken by Australian entities beyond our borders, applying the same rigour offshore that we expect here at home.

This bill also reflects Australia's commitment to regional leadership. For Pacific Island nations, the ocean is not just an environmental asset. It is culture, food, security and identity. They have been among the strongest advocates for high seas protection, and this legislation ensures Australia continues to stand with them, not speak past them. Australia currently co-chairs the preparatory commission for the first Conference of Parties later this year. If we want to shape the rules that will govern the global ocean, we must be a full participant, not an observer. This bill ensures Australia has a seat at the table. It is also about economic responsibility. Our fisheries, tourism and coastal communities all depend on healthy functioning oceans. Protecting the high seas is an investment in Australian jobs, long-term sustainability and economic resilience.

This bill is about the future. It is about ensuring that our children grow up in a world where wilderness still exists, not only on land but in the deep and distant parts of our oceans. There will always be those that say we should wait or do less, but climate change is not waiting, biodiversity loss is not waiting and ocean degradation is not waiting. This bill is a statement that Australia has turned a corner and that under Labor science, evidence and responsibility guide our environmental policy, not denial or delay. The High Seas Biodiversity Bill is Australia's contribution to a nature positive future. It strengthens our standing as a global environmental leader, a reliable regional partner and a nation willing to act when the moment demands it. I proudly commend the bill to the House.

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