Jennie George (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts, I present the committee’s report entitled Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now, together with the minutes of proceedings and evidence received by the committee.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

The title of our report, Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now, sums up the key themes and directions that emerged from lengthy consideration following the receipt of terms of reference from both the Minister for Climate Change and Water and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts. I know that many stakeholders have waited a long time for the report and its considerations, but I think the time we spent was time well spent. In my view and the view of the committee, this is a very timely report.

Much to our surprise, it generated a lot of interest and engagement, with over 100 written submissions and 180 exhibits. There were 28 public hearings held around Australia, with over 170 witnesses appearing. We also undertook nine site inspections of coastal areas known to be vulnerable to climate change, including the Great Barrier Reef, the Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Mandurah, Busselton and Kakadu.

The report focuses on three major themes. The first one is climate change impacts on the coastal zone. We have drawn on the work of eminent Australian scientists in highlighting the risks from extreme weather events and projected rising sea levels. Australia’s vulnerability is exacerbated because of the concentration of population and infrastructure along the coast. Early planning and appropriate adaptation strategies are encouraged, drawing on important data available from the Department of Climate Change and a range of impressive scientific, academic and research bodies.

We looked at the environmental impacts on the coastal zone, another term of reference, in some detail in chapter 5 of the report. We provided many examples of how population growth and resulting intensification of land use are increasing pressures on our precious environment and on Australia’s biodiversity. The responsibility for coastal land use planning rests with state governments, with devolved responsibility given to local government authorities. We make numerous recommendations which we hope will ensure the sustainability of the nation’s coastal zone, which is, without doubt, one of our most highly valued natural assets.

On the third major theme—governance arrangements for the coastal zone—there are a series of practical recommendations in response to the unanimous call from all stakeholders for the need for national leadership on this critical issue. At the heart of our proposals is a new COAG intergovernmental agreement on the coastal zone overseen by a new ministerial council. This would replace the complex and highly fragmented arrangements that currently apply across jurisdictions, sectors and agencies. In the foreword I state my personal view that I am optimistic that the Rudd Labor government will indeed meet that national challenge. Many of the initiatives already undertaken by the Department of Climate Change head in that direction. The soon to be released first-pass national coast vulnerability assessment is eagerly awaited by all stakeholders.

The committee decided to devote a whole chapter of the report to key emerging issues. We make several recommendations dealing with insurance and legal matters and how our planning schemes can better respond to projected climate change impacts. The vexed issue of insurance cover in vulnerable coastal areas is a matter we recommend be referred to the Productivity Commission for further investigation and consultation with the industry.

Uncertainty about legal liability and associated matters was one of the issues most frequently raised in evidence to the committee, particularly by local government authorities. In that regard, the committee has recommended that the Australian Law Reform Commission undertake an early inquiry into the liability facing public authorities and property owners in respect of climate change.

The committee’s 47 recommendations to government go to the heart of how national leadership can be provided in a collaborative framework with state and local governments and how we can better engage the community in this endeavour. I thank the committee members and the deputy chair, the member for Moore, for their bipartisan support on an issue of such national importance. (Time expired)

Mal Washer (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to follow the member for Throsby. This report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts—it was the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage—entitled Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now is an epic piece of work. I am getting advice from the chair of the committee, as you should.

I want to acknowledge some of the people in here who have participated. If you do not mind, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott, I will mention their names: I can see the member for Petrie, Yvette D’Ath; Mark Dreyfus, who is to be an honourable I hope one day soon, from Isaacs; Julia Irwin, the member for Fowler; my good friend the honourable John Murphy from Lowe; and you, Mr Deputy Speaker Scott. They were all part of this committee. I want to thank them for the work they put into this and the expert advice. I want to particularly mention the two good-looking ladies over there: Julia Morris and Kate Sullivan. Kate was with us all of the time. Dr Kate Sullivan, thank you very much for what you did to make this go.

I do not want to talk too much about this because everyone should come along to the committee later to hear what a great piece of work this is. I am not going to take away too much of the sunshine, but I do want to say that 80 per cent of our population live in the coastal zone. The population is projected to reach 35 million—and it is probably underestimated—by 2047. I think that is worrisome, for all of the reasons we have got here, if we are all going to live in that same zone.

Rising sea levels are real. Professor Kurt Lambeck, who is one of the world’s experts, certainly looked at it. There is no doubt that the sea level gone up 1.5 metres in the last 100 years. That was the overall global average, so it was bigger in some areas. In the first 50 years the global average rise was one millimetre. In the 40 years after that, the global average rise was two millimetres. In the last decade the global average rise has been over three millimetres, so some areas are worse than that.

The time to act is now. If you go around our coast and have a look, which we did, in reality there is little of our coast left. It has all got groynes or sandbags, or they are pumping sand. It is a disaster. It is washed away, and that is the reality. So climate change is absolutely real and a vital issue. I do not think the chair, the member for Throsby, mentioned it, but 2012 is going to be the Year of the Coast, so let us make that a great year. Jennie, I think that is going to be a good year, right? It is really important.

So now all we have to do is get a national standard in place to work out our benchmarks—what we predict for the future. Because the sea level has gone up so much in the past and it is rapidly escalating, we really need to put that in place. I guess 0.8 metres is probably as good as it gets, but, anyway, you have to be convinced by the science.

The committee has previously done the Sustainability for survival: creating a climate for change report in 2007 and the Sustainable cities report in 2005. Sadly, for this parliament, neither of those reports has been acknowledged, accepted or its recommendations responded to by either the previous or the current government. That, I think, is very sad. We need all levels of government to be involved.

This inquiry saw great participation from the most important people out there, our constituents. That is what makes the committee system so valuable. The committee had over 100 written submissions and 180 exhibits, heard from 170 witnesses, held 28 public hearings around the country and, in its report, made 47 recommendations. That is true democracy, but sadly this parliament has forgotten what that is about.

Bruce Scott (Maranoa, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the member for Throsby wish to move a motion in connection with the report to enable it to be debated on a future occasion?

Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

In accordance with standing order 39, the debate is adjourned. The resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.