Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This weekend I have the honour of going to French Island to attend the annual general meeting of the French Island Community Association. I have the role of election monitor for the election of the committee. This is the second such honour I have had in my life. The first was as Australia’s chief electoral observer in Cambodia. I fully expect that the French Island elections will be less controversial and somewhat more friendly.

However, what I want to do on French Island in paying respect to the hopes, aspirations and sense of community, which comes from the 70 permanent residents and the 100 part-time residents, is to work with them on a French Island sustainability vision. I think that the vision needs three elements. These are the elements on which I want to work with the islanders. Firstly, we need to have a long-term invasive species plan to ensure that we have protection against animals such as foxes to make sure that the quarantine situation on the island is maintained. The islanders have played a fantastic role. They have kept French Island as a pristine environment. We need to make sure on the plant-life side that Phytophthora continues to be kept off the island. We have a fine native species arrangement on French Island. It is a constant plan and we need to ensure that French Island Landcare is properly and adequately funded. They do a great job, they need the support and we need the 30-year invasive species plan.

Secondly, we need to ensure that the French Island marine environment is maintained. In particular, Western Port has a seagrass loss issue. We need a Western Port and a French Island seagrass recovery plan. I have offered to work with the Dolphin Research Institute, with the Mornington Peninsula and the Western Port Biosphere Reserve and also with the French Island Community Association to that end.

Thirdly, we need to have a community development plan. That means to ensure, whether it is the Perseverance Primary School, the French Island CFA, the craft group or the book club, that we have in place long-term community support. I will work both with the islanders and the Victorian government to make sure that there is adequate funding. It is a unique environment and a wonderful island. It has been maintained as a sanctuary both culturally in terms of community harmony and environmentally, but we need a 30-year vision for French Island’s sustainability. (Time expired)