Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Northern Territory's coastline is a tourist mecca, an anglers paradise and where Indigenous communities maintain a continuing connection with saltwater country. A report released recently by the Keep Top End Coasts Healthy alliance highlighted the fact that NT coasts and seas contribute $2 billion every year to the NT economy and support more than 6,000 jobs. Fishing is a way of life in the Northern Territory, and the total economic contribution of the fishing tourism industry alone is estimated at $26 million per year. Without healthy coasts and seas, the NT's culture, lifestyle and economy will suffer. We need a plan that will properly protect our coasts so that future generations can enjoy them and reap their economic benefits.

The Turnbull government have been hopeless in this space. Thanks to the government's marine park cuts, large-scale industrial fishing and supertrawlers have now received a standing invitation from this coalition government to exploit Australia's marine life.

I'm pleased to be speaking in support of protecting our coastlines at the Deckchair Cinema on Friday, 3 August, where there will be the Australian Marine Conservation Society screening of the Australian documentary Blue. I look forward to seeing you down there for an evening under the stars to learn more about our oceans and how we can protect them.