Carol Berry (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the jewels in the electorate of Whitlam is The Farm at Killalea, which has been named the best beach in New South Wales and the second-best beach in Australia. This extraordinary place was protected by the local community, and was also where I learnt to surf, an experience that has only deepened my love of the ocean. Australia's beaches are iconic and form an important part of our national identity. Oceans are a vital life-support system for our planet, producing 50 to 80 per cent of the world's oxygen and acting as a significant carbon sink. I'm therefore delighted and honoured to be the co-chair of Parliamentary Friends of Oceans and Sustainable Development. This group will provide a platform for politicians from all parties, including independents, to engage with key issues affecting Australia's oceans.

I am proud of the Albanese government's achievements when it comes to protecting our oceans. We've substantially expanded our marine parks so that over 50 per cent of Australia's oceans are now under protection. Australia now protects more ocean than any other country. Australia is a world leader in ocean protection, working domestically and with our Pacific and Indian Ocean neighbours to protect this precious and incredibly important shared resource. Our oceans support hundreds of thousands of species of marine life. We need to protect our oceans from plastic waste, pollution and overfishing to ensure we look after these amazing environments for our future generations. I look forward to working with my colleagues who've joined Parliamentary Friends of Oceans to ensure we continue to take action to protect this incredibly valuable resource for our nation.