Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Environment and the Arts, I present the committee's second interim report of the inquiry into Australia's biodiversity and the changing climate entitled Case studies on biodiversity conservation: volume 2.

In accordance with standing order 39(f) the report was made a Parliamentary Paper.

I welcome this opportunity to make some remarks in connection with the second interim report of the inquiry into Australia's biodiversity in a changing climate. This report discusses the issues that have arisen in the course of the committee's site inspection activities in Victoria, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. I also take this opportunity to update the House on the progress of the inquiry.

As I reported to the House earlier this year, the inquiry's terms of reference are very broad, and the committee considered that an extensive evidence-gathering process was the most appropriate way to conduct the inquiry. Part of that process involved carrying out site inspections around the country and visiting a broad range of ecosystems of national importance as defined by submissions the committee received. Through the first interim report presented in May and with presentation of the second interim report today, the committee has now fully reported on key issues that arose throughout the site inspections.

Although the inspection program has concluded, the committee continues to gather evidence for its final report through written submissions, private briefings and public hearings. Since the inquiry began in June last year, the committee has received 87 submissions, 13 supplementary submissions, 60 exhibits and numerous additional documents. We have also held 13 public hearings, covering each Australian state and territory.

Before making specific comments about the report I record my thanks to members of the committee—particularly the deputy chair, the member for Moore—for their bipartisan cooperation and for the significant commitments they have made in relation to the site inspection program.

I also take this opportunity to once again thank each of the organisations and individuals who facilitated the committee's visits and who took the time to meet with the committee. To the many community representatives, scientists, natural resource managers, officials, and local experts we have heard from, I thank you for assisting the committee with this important inquiry. I particular thank the committee secretariat, who have worked diligently in assisting the committee with its inquiry.

I expect that the member for Moore may speak about the committee's work as well, and he might refer to the Northern Territory and Queensland visits, so I will confine my brief remarks to the matters relating to the Victorian and South Australian inspections.

In Victoria the committee visited the Melbourne Museum and heard about the invaluable work of the museum in species identification using gene technology, in digital record keeping and international exchange of information and the role of the museum in carrying out research related to biodiversity changes. The committee also visited Hastings in Western Port and met with BirdLife Australia to hear about the threats to bird life arising from climate change and sea level rises. In South Australia the committee inspected the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray mouth areas and the Greenfields wetlands in the city of Salisbury. In both areas the committee was briefed about threats and local initiatives being used to preserve the natural environment. Colin Pitman, from the city of Salisbury, provided the committee with a comprehensive overview of the environmental, economic and social benefits of Salisbury's extensive wetlands and water reuse scheme.

The committee will present its final report with recommendations next year. What is evident to date from the work is that: firstly, there are real threats to Australia's biodiversity; secondly, each region faces its own unique risks; thirdly, already serious losses of species have occurred throughout Australia; and fourthly, climate change adds to the risks and threats being faced.

On a positive perspective, it is most encouraging to see local communities around the country initiating projects to minimise any of those risks. It is also reassuring to see how much invaluable research work is being carried out by scientists around the country. Their work is vital in our understanding of what is happening and what action can be taken to protect our natural environment.

I understand that other members of the committee May wish to speak to the second interim report. Of course, a much more extensive discussion about the committee's work will occur when the final report is presented next year. With those brief comments, I present the report to the House.

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

() (): I would also like to thank the secretariat, other members of the committee, particularly the chair—the member for Makin has done an excellent job in putting this report together—and all the people who contributed to the report. I am pleased to speak on a few aspects of the report titled Case Studies on Biodiversity Conservation: Volume 2.

Kakadu National Park is home to approximately 2,000 plant species, 271 bird species—over one third of Australia's bird species—77 mammal species—about one quarter of Australia's mammal species—132 reptiles species, 27 frog species and 246 fish species. Some of these are unique to this area and not found anywhere else in the world.

Existing threats to the biodiversity of the Yellow Water Wetlands region include feral and pest animals, including the Asian water buffalo and cane toads, which started to colonise the park in the 1990s. Grassy and floodplain weeds such as Salvinia and Para Grass are prolific and invasive weeds that tend to quickly dominate and create monocultures in the ecosystems they invade.

The predicted effects of climate change in Kakadu include sea level rise; temperature rises, variation in the amount and pattern of rainfall and changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

Biodiversity has a direct impact on local communities as many rely on local plant and animal species as food sources. The Yellow Water Wetlands provide food sources such as lilies, melaleuca trees and magpie geese.

Many local communities are dependent on the tourism industry for their livelihoods and, in turn, the industry relies on the unique biodiversity of the region in order to attract visitors. The loss of biodiversity due to climate change would therefore have significant repercussions for the local Indigenous communities in particular.

Tropical North Queensland is home to both the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. The Great Barrier Reef consists of many different habitat types including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, tidal wetlands, open waters and islands. Climate change has been identified as the greatest threat facing the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. Ocean acidification has been identified as a serious threat to the biodiversity of coral reef ecosystems. As atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide increases, the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean also increases, causing the ocean to become more acidic. This affects the ability of coral reefs to grow, which could reduce the capacity for repair after induced disturbances, including damage from marine vessels and visitors. Coral bleaching can also inhibit coral reproduction as a result of sea temperature increases.

Research programs run at Reef HQ Aquarium requiring no collection of coral from the Great Barrier Reef are an important measure for research institutions in order to maintain as little human disruption to the structure of the reef as possible. There are collaborative research programs conducted at Reef HQ between local universities as well as a formal educational videoconferencing program for school students connecting to classrooms all over the world on the effects of climate change on reef ecosystems.

The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area covers some 8,944 square kilometres from just south of Cooktown to just north of Townsville. The wet tropics are the most biodiverse terrestrial region of Australia. The main vegetation type is wet tropical rainforests fringed by sclerophyll forests, woodlands, swamps and mangrove forests. There are also several endemic species including the lemuroid ringtail possum. The spread of invasive weeds such as myrtle rust and Koster's curse presents threats to biodiversity in the wetland tropics because of their potential to damage the native and agricultural lands and infest tropical areas in other states.

One of the research facilities at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory is the use of dendrometer bands which collect and establish baseline data by measuring stem incremental growth, litter trap and leaf area index. One of the purposes of collecting the data is to report on the risks and threats to lowland rainforest canopy trees under changing rainfall and temperature scenarios. The main threat to both the reef and wet tropical ecosystems is the impact of increasing temperatures. The most effective way of building resilience to climate change for any ecosystem is by managing existing threats.

Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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

Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House take note of the report.

Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

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