Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. I refer to the World Heritage Committee chair's praise of Australia as a global role model for our protection of the Great Barrier Reef. Will the minister inform the House how the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement will build on that success to allow increased eco and sustainable tourism and further investment in reef management? How will this decision assist with the export of environmental services to improve China's air and water quality?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Herbert, who is one of the great lovers of the Great Barrier Reef.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

So he tells me! As this House well knows, before we came to office the World Heritage Committee took the Great Barrier Reef from the primary list and placed it on the watch list with regard to properties of universal value. It was, in fact, facing being downgraded further to the 'in danger' list, the lowest level of the World Heritage system. As a consequence, we banned the disposal—forever, through law—of dredge material into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We created the long-term Reef 2050 sustainability plan. We allocated an additional $140 million as part of the Reef Trust and as part of a broader $2 billion plan for the Great Barrier Reef. As a consequence of those actions, when the World Heritage Committee met in Bonn only a couple of months ago, not only did they decide not to list the reef as an 'in danger' property, not only did they take it off the watch list and not only did they unanimously return it to the highest level, but it was declared by the chair of the World Heritage Committee that Australia was a global role model. That means that more people will want to see this reef. That is where the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement comes in. We have already seen an increase of 18 per cent in Chinese visitor numbers to the Great Barrier Reef.

One of the interesting things, which was a direct consequence, was the aviation agreement which came from the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. We will see a tripling in the number of passengers to Australia as a consequence of that agreement. We will see an increase in the number of Chinese visitors to the reef as a consequence of that agreement. That means that there will be more jobs in tourism, more revenue within the reef area and more investment available for environmental services in the reef. Beyond that, we have also seen, through the work of the trade minister, an extension of opportunities for Australian environmental exports to China and for Australian environmental services, in areas such as air and water quality, in China. So what we have done is deliver a safer and healthier reef, more opportunities for jobs within the reef area and the opportunity for improved environmental services to China. They are opposed to more jobs— (Time expired)