Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the inclusion of River Murray and associated wetlands, floodplains and groundwater systems, from the junction with the Darling River to the sea in the list of threatened ecological communities made under section 181 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 on 5 August 2013 and presented to the House on 12 November 2013, be disallowed.

Today the government is moving motions in this place to disallow two environment protection and biodiversity conservation listings made by the former Labor government. With its final breath, the Rudd government scandalously listed the Murray-Darling river system and associated wetlands and floodplains of the Macquarie Marshes as critically threatened ecological communities under national environmental law. Unfortunately the member for Port Adelaide, who was the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Water at the time, blindly signed off on listings the day before the caretaker period began, all without engaging in any kind of consultation with stakeholders, including river communities in my electorate of Barker.

In an act breathtaking on-the-run policymaking, the former minister decided on 5 August that it would be a good idea to add these two communities to the list of critically endangered ecologies under the EPBC Act. The effect of the decision would have been to make the Murray River, from the Darling junction to the Southern Ocean, subject to the referral and assessment processes of the EPBC Act. Labor, in its haste, ignored the environmental protections already in place and evidently gave no thought to the negative impacts on river communities, not to mention the unnecessary increase in red and green tape.

We might expect more from a minister of the Commonwealth, especially one whose home state of South Australia would be so adversely affected by his party's bent for an ever-increasing environmental bureaucracy. It is important to remember that the former minister contradicted many of his predecessors in the environment portfolio, both Liberal and Labor. All of them knew that further listings would be pointless because of the mechanisms already in place. I am happy to say, as the member for Barker representing South Australia's Murray River communities, all the relevant ecological communities are already protected and will continue to be protected. After careful consideration it is clear that these additional listings do not pass the common-sense test. We never support the creation of further green tape just for the sake of it. As a proud conservative I know that more government intervention is never the answer.

It is worth noting that the Threatened Species Scientific Committee advised that the Water Act, Murray-Darling Basin Plan and other existing environmental water and water efficiency programs already provide for the environmental recovery of these communities. Even the member for Port Adelaide's Labor comrades in the South Australian government thought this was a bad idea—that must have been embarrassing for him. The South Australian Minister for Water and the River Murray, Labor MP Ian Hunter, rubbished his federal colleague's push for the critically endangered listing, saying that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan provided sufficient protection for the river system. What is more, Mr Brenton Grear, executive director of the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources in South Australia, was far from convinced that these listings were necessary. Mr Grear stated: 'In the South Australian government's view more work would be required to demonstrate that listings of the nominated ecological community would deliver equivalent or better environmental outcomes than those already delivered.'

Furthermore, I take comfort in the knowledge that the coalition stands shoulder to shoulder with the National Irrigators Council in opposing these listings. When Labor's rather underhanded ploy was revealed, the council called on federal members representing the Murray-Darling Basin to disallow 'this sneaky listing' of the Murray River and Macquarie Marshes as critically endangered. Today I am very happy to oblige their request. The National Irrigators Council hit the nail on the head in describing Labor's plans this way: 'Unfortunately the previous Labor government listened to a foreign lobby group, ignored the advice of state governments and did not consult with the people directly impacted.'

I know that as a government we have diligently assessed these listings and undertaken extensive consultation to determine whether we should allow them to proceed. It is clear that all the former minister was going to achieve with his eleventh-hour listing was to burden basin communities with even more of a bureaucratic nightmare. I can vouch for the fact that constituents of mine in the Riverland and Murraylands are already being strangled by green tape, but, of course, Labor do not understand how regional communities work, just as they have no idea when it comes to running or operating businesses.

As the member for Barker, there is no-one in this place who is more supportive of sensible and effective environmental protection. I categorically refuse to support the creation of more and more green tape under the veil of supposedly promoting sustainable ecological communities. In the shameful catalogue of failed Labor policies which needlessly hurt the business community in the name of some lost environmental crusade, we might file these listings right alongside the carbon tax. Indeed, increasing cost to businesses without delivering any environmental benefits is, unfortunately, a recurring theme when casting an eye over the previous chaotic six years of Labor in power.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Debate adjourned.