Craig Kelly (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The electorate of Hughes is blessed with a series of magnificent waterways: the Hacking, Georges and Woronora rivers. These are there for us all to enjoy, and in fact I did so on the weekend when I participated in time trials with the Sutherland Shire Canoe Club, even though I came an honourable last. I would agree with the comments of my state colleague, Ms Eleni Petinos, the member for Miranda, where she said that the current marine park proposal for New South Wales waterways, which restrict the access of recreational fishermen across 25 distinct sites between Newcastle and Wollongong, goes too far. It intrudes upon the Central Coast lifestyle that we all value. We all place great value on the protection of our coastal environment. We all have the opportunity to enjoy that coastal environment. Our fishermen in the vast majority of circumstances are some of our best environmentalists. The proposal for the marine parks in New South Wales goes too far. One of the great rights in this nation is to go and throw a line with your son, your daughter or your grandfather to try to catch a fish. That is jeopardised by this proposal, and I agree with my state colleague.