Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight, I want to speak about industry and the environment in the Gladstone region and how this is working in unison. Gladstone is a major economic centre. It is a major port and industrial centre of Central Queensland. LNG processing and the export of LNG gas will commence in December 2014. It is already a coal transporter and exporter of many products, including aluminium, alumina and cement powder. There is an oil refinery that has engineering and construction teams in place. Almost a third of the state's exports are traded through the Port of Gladstone.

The industry and a healthy environment are essential. The industry is essential to the economy, to Gladstone and to the rest of Australia. A healthy environment is a prerequisite for tourism and the fishing-rig industries, and for those two industries to flourish. Gladstone's long-term future depends on both. They are not just important for tourism and fishing, they affect the whole liveability of the region and the amenities that go with it.

People who live and work in the region expect and demand that the environment is properly protected. Government and industry know this and are determined to ensure the highest environmental standards are maintained. Can industry and the environment coexist? Yes, they can—they definitely can. In Gladstone, industry and a healthy environment do coexist. They are essential for the region to continue to prosper. This government is determined to ensure they do. Industrial development must be sensitive to the environment. When problems occur, they need to be resolved quickly and effectively. And, of course, when you have industry, things do go wrong from time to time.

Government, industry and the community have generally done a pretty reasonable job of balancing industrial development in harmony with the protection of the environment. There have been some hiccups. Gladstone does not have an unblemished environmental record. The failure of the bund wall adjacent to the harbour, where we reclaimed 300 hectares of land, had issues in the early parts of 2011 and 2012—and I might add that it was then under Labor management. The independent review was released in May this year. They found that the construction of the bund wall was flawed. Poor oversight was found to be a major factor. There have been inadequate approval conditions, and there were complex and fragmented regulations. But no blame could be pointed at any one person or any one company. The structural flaws have since been rectified, the water quality has been restored and I am pleased to report that the fish, dugong and other sea animals have returned to the harbour.

Since the bund wall was constructed, there have been changes to our governments—both at the state and federal levels. There are much tighter environmental conditions now applied to any dredging operation up and down the Queensland coast or along any coastal waters of Australia. There are much tighter regulations governing environmental projects associated with the harbour works and the dumping of dredge spoil. Gladstone harbour and waterways are subject to intensive testing and monitoring regimes to ensure the highest environmental standards are maintained. Gladstone, I believe, is the most monitored place in the southern hemisphere for air and water quality.

Protection of the Great Barrier Reef—yes, that is a concern to us and we are doing our best to look after the Great Barrier Reef, and the results are there for all to see. The Australian and Queensland governments released comprehensive strategic assessments of the Great Barrier Reef and the World Heritage area. The report discussed the issues affecting the reef and what is needed for its protection. The report shows continued best practice management is required to lessen the impacts of port development. As with all other sites, disposal of dredge spoil is not permitted in marine parks. Dredging to create new ports has been prohibited— (Time expired)