House debates

Thursday, 22 October 2020

Questions without Notice

Environment

2:31 pm

Photo of Julian LeeserJulian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government is acting to protect our iconic environment and the Australian jobs that go with it?

Photo of Sussan LeySussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | | Hansard source

I thank the member for Berowra for his question. Yesterday, I spoke about how the Morrison government is driving a billion-dollar transformation in the waste and recycling industry, creating 10,000 jobs over the next decade, and our budget continues our government's commitment to protecting our environment and Australia's economic recovery, with an additional $1.8 billion in new investments, protecting our oceans, preserving national parks and heritage areas, recovering our unique natural environment from bushfires, and, as we come out of COVID, supporting jobs in regional communities. We're spending $233 million—the largest ever investment in our national parks—creating more than 1,100 rural and remote jobs in Uluru, Kakadu, Booderee and Christmas and Norfolk Islands. Thirty-three million dollars will provide infrastructure upgrades across our World Heritage sites, from the wet tropics in the north, through the Gondwana rainforests of the Great Dividing Range, to the Tasmanian overland trails and the Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia.

Recognising the significance of our Indigenous, convict and military history, more than $60 million is being invested for the maintenance and restoration of Sydney Harbour Federation Trust sites, including on Cockatoo Island and Sub Base Platypus. Reef HQ in Townsville is getting further upgrades, taking our investment in the world's largest living coral reef aquarium to more than $40 million since last year.

These measures demonstrate our commitment to protecting, preserving and showcasing our unique natural environment and the communities it sustains. Twenty-eight million dollars will be invested to sustainably manage our marine park network—3.3 million square kilometres; one of the biggest in the world. Fourteen million dollars will be invested in cleaning up lost and discarded fishing gear, or 'ghost nets', throughout the waters and beaches of northern Australia. And we're continuing our investment in the International Partnership for Blue Carbon, to assist our Pacific family tackle problems with marine pollution. Twenty million dollars we're investing in building oyster reefs that stabilise coastlines, clean the water and create thousands of kilograms of new fish stocks.

Our precious native species remain a critical focus as we continue to roll out over $200 million of bushfire habitat recovery. Our environmental protection draws heavily on Commonwealth-led research from our National Environmental Science Program, backing our on-ground practical action with work in areas like threatened species climate adaptation, marine parks and Landcare activities. We are providing economic and environmental leadership.