Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 and welcome this legislation to ratify the United Nations high seas treaty, the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. It has been more than four decades since the last major global agreement on ocean protection, so this is a significant moment. It won't solve everything overnight, but it is a clear step forward. For the many people who care deeply about our oceans and who have worked on this issue for years, it represents real progress.

I want to speak a little about why the high seas matter and why ratifying this treaty is such a milestone. Australia signed this global ocean treaty in 2023, and this bill is about turning that commitment into action. This is one of the most important nature protection agreements we have seen in a long time. For the first time, there is a global legal framework to protect marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction—in other words, the vast parts of the ocean that no one country owns but that all of us depend upon. It also establishes a system to ensure that benefits from marine genetic resources are shared more equitably between nations. Beyond that, the treaty does a number of things. It creates a pathway for establishing marine protected areas on the high seas, it introduces requirements for environmental impact assessments before large-scale activities like deep-sea mining can proceed, and it includes provisions to build scientific capacity and support the transfer of marine technology so more countries can properly understand, manage and protect these environments.

The ocean is an important part of everyday life in coastal communities like mine, on the northern beaches of Sydney in Mackellar. In Mackellar, the ocean is a part of the rhythm of the day. It is the early morning surf or the walk along the coastline. It brings a sense of perspective. People value it for those reasons, but there is also a broader understanding that a healthy ocean underpins so much of what we rely on, from biodiversity to climate stability.

The high seas cover around two-thirds of the global ocean, with the deep sea making up the majority of that area. These are rich, biodiverse, complex environments. Underwater features like seamounts support dense and diverse ecosystems which serve as important feeding grounds for migratory species such as whales and sharks. The high seas also play a critical role in regulating the climate, absorbing heat and carbon and helping to buffer the impacts of global warming. Organisations like the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the World Wide Fund for Nature have consistently made the point that ocean health and climate action are closely linked. You cannot address one without addressing the other.

One of the most important features of this treaty is that it finally creates a pathway for establishing marine protected areas on the high seas. Until now, governance of these areas has been fragmented with no clear global mechanism to create large-scale ocean sanctuaries in international waters. This agreement changes that. It provides the legal foundation for countries to work together to establish protected areas where ecosystems can recover and biodiversity can be conserved over the long term. However, there is a significant gap to close.

At present, less than one per cent of the high seas is highly or fully protected. The global goal is to protect 30 per cent by 2030, which will require action at a scale and speed we have not seen before, protecting vast areas of ocean within a relatively short timeframe. This treaty will be essential to achieving that goal.

The treaty also addresses marine genetic resources, ensuring that the benefits derived from their use are shared fairly. This is an important principle, particularly for countries that have not historically had the same access to these resources. It also introduces tools to safeguard against the threats of deep-sea mining, including marine protected areas and environmental impact assessments. This is especially relevant as countries like Australia expand into critical minerals and deep-sea mining.

We have seen in the past how resource booms can deliver economic benefits but also leave lasting environmental damage when they are not properly managed. This is an opportunity to take a different approach and avoid the mistakes of the past. It is an opportunity to set clearer rules from the outside, grounded in international law, including international human rights law, and to implement the precautionary principle. As new industries develop, including in the deep sea, we need to make sure that we are not trading long-term environmental health for short-term gain and that the protection of these ecosystems remains front and centre.

The agreement has been designed to sit alongside existing arrangements such as regional fisheries management organisations. In practice, the interaction between these systems is likely to be complex, and there will be questions about how decisions align and how disputes are resolved. That is something governments will need to manage carefully to ensure that conservation objectives are not undermined. And while this treaty is a landmark step, it is not the only step we must take.

I would also encourage the government to continue strengthening protections within our own marine parks, including reviewing existing arrangements, expanding highly protected areas and ensuring that our domestic efforts reflect the ambition we are supporting internationally. Alongside this, there are other pressures on our oceans that we need to deal with, particularly plastic pollution. Our oceans are under strain from the sheer volume of plastic waste entering the system every year. This is something where there is a large degree of agreement about what needs to happen next domestically.

Environmental groups—organisations like the Boomerang Alliance and Clean Up Australia, as well as the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, which is the peak body for the packaging industry—have all called for a mandatory extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging. Put simply, this would mean making companies that produce plastic packaging responsible for what happens to it, including how it's designed to be reused or recycled and contributing to the cost of collecting and processing it. It's a practical reform, one that would make a real difference. The government has already done the consultation work on plastics policy, revealing widespread support for the extended producer responsibility. Now it's a matter of just getting on with it.

Returning to the bill before us, the high seas treaty provides an opportunity to better manage existing and emerging risks in the deep ocean, such as bottom trawling, deep-sea mining and other activities where the environmental impacts are still uncertain. Having a framework that supports precaution and proper environmental assessment is essential, and this legislation is an important step. It establishes the framework we need to better protect the high seas, and ratifying it positions Australia to play a constructive role in that effort. I commend the government for bringing this bill forward, and I support its passage. I also acknowledge the work of the Australian environmental and conservation organisations, scientists and advocates who have contributed to this outcome over many, many years. Their efforts have been critical in getting us to this point. I commend this bill to the House.

Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our waterways tell a story about connection. What flows through our creeks does not stop there; it moves through wetlands and mangroves into the bay and out into wider marine systems that sustain biodiversity, livelihoods and communities far beyond our shoreline. When local habitat is degraded or pollution is allowed to build up, the consequences travel. When communities come together to restore creek banks and care for catchments, the benefits travel too. In Griffith and surrounds, we see that every day through the work of groups like the Norman Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee, the Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee, OzFish and the many volunteers who give their time to restoring habitat, improving water quality and caring for the places that connect our suburbs to Moreton Bay.

That local understanding helps frame the significance of this bill, the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026, because the health of our local waterways is inseparable from the health of the global ocean. The ocean does not divide neatly according to national borders, and the pressures facing marine environments do not stop at the edge of a map. Species migrate, currents carry pollution and damage in one part of the world's ocean can affect conditions somewhere else entirely. Protecting marine biodiversity requires a wider view, one that recognises we are all dealing with one deeply interconnected marine system.

I can get seasick in a bathtub, so it is with some apprehension that I venture mentally onto the high seas—but here we go. The high seas are the international marine waters beyond the jurisdiction of any country. These waters and the seabeds below them are essential to biodiversity, climate regulation and the overall health of marine ecosystems. Yet only around one per cent of them is currently protected. That is the gap this legislation helps address.

First, it regulates the collection and use of marine genetic resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including related digital sequence information, reporting and benefit sharing. The language is technical, but the principle is straightforward. Marine genetic resources can hold enormous scientific and commercial value, including in medicine, biotechnology and research, so access to them should sit within a framework that supports transparency, accountability and fairer sharing of benefits.

Second, it creates a framework for Australia to recognise area-based management tools established under the treaty, including marine protected areas on the high seas. That means international conservation decisions under the treaty can be reflected in Australian law and observed by Australian entities.

Third, it establishes an environmental impact assessment process for certain planned activities by Australian entities in areas beyond national jurisdiction where there is a risk of harm to the marine environment. When an activity could cause substantial pollution or significant and harmful changes to marine ecosystems, there should be a proper process to assess those impacts before the damage is done. That is a sensible safeguard and an essential part of responsible environmental management.

Together, these measures allow Australia to ratify the treaty with integrity and play a meaningful role in its implementation. For Australia, this legislation carries particular significance. We are an island continent with one of the largest maritime jurisdictions in the world. Our prosperity, resilience and way of life are closely tied to the ocean. Fisheries, tourism, marine science, conservation and coastal communities all depend on healthy marine systems, and the condition of our oceans does not stop at the edge of our exclusive economic zone. Australia comes to this work with credibility. More than half of our ocean is now protected in marine parks and around a quarter of our marine estate is in highly protected areas. We have committed to protecting and conserving 30 per cent of Australia's land and 30 per cent of Australia's marine areas by 2030.

This bill builds on that strong domestic foundation and extends our contribution into the international sphere. It also has particular importance for the Pacific. Australia and the Pacific island countries are connected by the Blue Pacific, and that idea reflects a lived reality as much as a diplomatic one. Across our region, the ocean is central to food security, livelihoods, culture, identity, resilience and sovereignty. Questions of marine biodiversity and ocean governance go directly to the long-term wellbeing of communities and nations across the Pacific. When we talk about what stronger international ocean governance means for our region, we are talking about tuna stocks, coastal fisheries, local nutrition, sustainable livelihoods and resilience in the face of climate change. We are talking about countries already carrying immense environmental pressure and whose futures are tightly bound to the health of the ocean. This bill also speaks to something we understand deeply in Griffith: stewardship works best when it is practical, shared and sustained. The high seas do not belong to any one country, but their future will be shaped by the choices countries make together.

Kate Chaney (Curtin, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak to the High Seas Biodiversity Bill. Australia is an island continent with one of the world's largest maritime jurisdictions and bordered by three major oceans. Our economy, our environment and our way of life are strongly shaped by the sea. For the people of Curtin, this connection is deep. The Indian Ocean shapes our ecosystems and is part of our daily life, whether through recreation, tourism, science, culture or livelihoods. Just off shore from my electorate runs a major migratory corridor for humpback and blue whales. These species move between Australian waters and the high seas along ancient pathways that are critical for feeding and breeding. These so-called blue corridors extend well beyond national jurisdictions.

The oceans are critical to our way of life in Curtin and in Australia, but they're under threat from climate change, pollution, exploitation and extraction through bottom trawling, mining and drilling. Too often the natural world is overlooked in exchange for near-term profits. Here in parliament, we must fight for our oceans and the infinite intrinsic wealth they provide to us all. So it's with great pleasure today that I support this bill which ratifies Australia's international commitment to global protection of international waters under the high seas treaty. It provides the first legal mechanism to protect our oceans beyond national jurisdiction.

The high seas cover two-thirds of our planet's surface, yet less than one per cent are protected. This bill and this treaty enable more comprehensive ecological protection of biodiversity hotspots by creating an interconnected network of protected zones. The bill allows Australia to demonstrate regional leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and it demonstrates respect for First Nations philosophies towards sea stewardship. There does, however, remain a responsibility on Australia to exhibit strong leadership in implementation, particularly when it comes to funding enabling institutions as well as continued action to support Indo-Pacific neighbours and climate mitigation.

The bill represents the domestic legal ratification of all elements of the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction agreement, commonly referred to as the high seas treaty or global oceans treaty. The agreement does three things to promote marine conservation in these important oceanic zones. Firstly, it establishes a legal framework to designate marine protected areas on the high seas. No legal mechanism to protect international waters existed prior to this treaty. With this new legal pathway, the international community can set aside areas of the open ocean for protection—no fishing, no mining and no exploitation—to allow marine ecosystems to recover and fulfil their ecological functions. This is the ocean equivalent of creating a national park. Secondly, it requires stringent environmental impact assessments be undertaken by corporations and states that plan to conduct activities on the high seas. Such assessments involve considering how adverse impacts can be prevented, mitigated and managed to best support biodiversity and ecosystem health. The provision is strengthened by the requirement to evaluate cumulative impacts, which enables a comprehensive appraisal of the potential harmful effects of activities on complex, interconnected ecological systems. Thirdly, the bill establishes transparency and reporting arrangements for marine genetic resources, recognising the growing scientific and commercial interest in biodiversity found on the high seas. These mechanisms represent a fundamental shift in the legal governance of the ocean.

I've taken a consistent stance on global ocean protection in this parliament. In August last year, I wrote to Minister Watt and called for immediate ratification of this treaty. That letter was a direct call on the executive to stop delaying and to honour the spirit of leadership Australia had shown in the treaty's negotiation. I reminded the government of our 30 by 30 commitment—the pledge made by the international community, including Australia, at the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022—to protect 30 per cent of the world's land and oceans by the year 2030. The high seas treaty is an essential mechanism for delivering on the ocean component of that commitment.

I've also spoken in this House about the overwhelming concern for this issue that has been expressed to me by 500 constituents from my electorate of Curtin. This showed that my community was really concerned about the lack of protection for the high seas globally. The potential to create a global interconnected network of marine protection areas, MPAs, across the high seas has long been called for by conservation experts and may now be a reality. A network of high seas MPAs would function as the connective tissue for global ocean protection. Huge areas of ocean which are essential for regulating climate, providing fish stocks and supporting biodiversity are now essentially eligible for protection from habitat destruction, exploitative fishing practices—including those with high bycatch rates of non-target species and bottom trawling—and disruption of biological carbon sequestration processes. The ecological benefits are huge.

Our oceans do not respect national boundaries. The currents that flow through Australian waters connect to every ocean on Earth. The humpback and blue whales that use blue corridors parallel to my electorate of Curtin also rely on international waters for migration and reproduction. Protecting isolated patches of domestic waters can only go so far to ensure sustainable and holistic protection of interconnected marine ecosystems. Furthermore, this extension of MPAs would amplify the effects of Australia's own domestic marine protection efforts as well as provide the economic co-benefits of improved long-term fish stock viability and protection of marine industries, such as tourism, fishing and aquaculture.

Australia now has an opportunity to demonstrate strong leadership in the Indo-Pacific region through implementation of this treaty. Our relationship with other nation states across the Pacific, South-East Asia and the Indian Ocean is defined, in large part, by the sea—that is, by fisheries, shipping lanes, shared ecological systems and the existential threat posed by climate change to low-lying nations. Especially for those Pacific neighbours for which the health of the ocean is not an abstraction but a foundation of national survival, our leadership sends a powerful message: we hear you, and we're willing to back our words with legal commitments.

For many First Nations communities across this continent and its islands, ocean protection contains strong cultural and spiritual dimensions. The concept of sea kin, which is the understanding that humans are in a relationship of kinship and obligation with the sea, is central to cultural identities and practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The migratory pathways of marine species are cultural highways and storylines that connect people to country. Harms posed by exploitative fishing, destructive mining and pollution are cultural as well as ecological. They sever connections and silence stories that have existed for tens of thousands of years. The high seas treaty's framework for environmental impact assessment must, as it's implemented, incorporate Indigenous knowledge, perspectives and voices. Australia's leadership in implementation should be guided, in part, by those who have been stewards of this ocean for the longest time.

I also want to acknowledge something that is too rarely celebrated in this place, which is multi-partisan collaboration. Australia has spearheaded treaty negotiations over nearly two decades under both Labor and Liberal governments. Throughout multiple rounds of intergovernmental conferences at the UN, evidence based diplomatic dialogue and the final agreement reached in New York in March 2023, sustained Australian engagement from both sides of politics has helped to shape one of the most significant ocean governance agreements to date. I commend the opposition's support for the ratification of the treaty today. Conserving our oceans and our natural world should be a fundamental pillar of our conservative parties. Australia has shown that environmental leadership does not have to be a partisan cause. I hope that this spirit of cooperation can continue to guide environmental and climate reform in this place.

While I wholeheartedly welcome this treaty into domestic law, Australia's ratification is seriously overdue. Despite being a champion in the negotiating room, as well as being one of the first countries to sign the treaty in 2023, we were not among the first 60 nations to ratify the agreement. Our absence from this group of first-movers is significant, as their support was required to trigger the actual entry into force of the international commitment. We may have missed out on a valuable opportunity to shape the norms and operating institutions of the treaty body. Our slowness to approve created a confusing, indefensible position in which we'd helped to write a treaty that we'd not ourselves agreed to be bound by. The Australian people do deserve more decisive, clear leadership on environmental protection.

Passing this bill is an essential next step in Australia's continuing commitment to responsible ocean governance, so where do we go from here? I believe there are three critical ways forward. Firstly, there's leading on implementation as we initially led on negotiation. Australia must now invest the resources, the institutional capacity and the political will to ensure that this treaty delivers its intended outcomes. The upcoming federal budget must include dedicated resourcing for Australia's obligations under this treaty, including for the regulatory frameworks needed to conduct environmental impact assessments. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; the Australian Maritime Safety Authority; and scientific agencies must be properly equipped to act.

Playing a leading role in implementation also means identifying priority areas for protection. Australia is particularly well placed to work with others to advance proposals for high-seas marine protected areas in regions of clear ecological significance and connectivity to our own waters. These include areas such as the South Tasman Sea and the Lord Howe Rise, between Australia and New Zealand, which are recognised biodiversity hot spots and have been identified by scientists and conservation experts as strong candidates for high seas protection. There's also a compelling case for cooperation with neighbouring states to progress protection of key areas in the eastern Indian Ocean, where high seas waters connect directly with Australia's marine parks and support migratory species including whales, turtles, sharks and seabirds. Establishing well-designed science-based marine protected areas in these regions would support biodiversity, safeguard migratory pathways and strengthen the ecological resilience of ocean systems that flow directly into Australian waters.

Secondly, there's committing to ongoing climate action to underpin biodiversity protection. The high seas treaty is a powerful tool, but it cannot succeed in isolation. Marine biodiversity is under threat not only from direct exploitation but from the cascading effects of climate change. No marine protected area can fully insulate its ecosystems from a warming ocean. If we're serious about the goals of this treaty, then we must also be serious about reducing our emissions.

Thirdly, there's sustained leadership for Oceania neighbours. Leadership in this context means more than showing up to international conferences such as the Pacific Islands Forum. Instead, it's capacity building, technology and information sharing, and maintaining open and inclusive channels for dialogue. We must prove that we're a leader in ocean governance, not the reluctant, delayed signatory we've sometimes appeared to be.

I'm proud to advocate for and support this bill. It's a significant step in the right direction, providing a strong legal foundation for responsible stewardship of our global high seas. I commend the bill to the House.

Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When people around the world talk about Australia, they often talk about our oceans. They talk about our beaches, our reefs, our wildlife and our identity that is shaped by the sea. From the Great Barrier Reef to the Twelve Apostles and from the Ningaloo Coast to the Southern Ocean, many of our most treasured natural wonders are defined by water. Eighty-five per cent of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast. The ocean is not just a feature of our geography; it is fundamental to who we are as a country. But being so deeply connected to the ocean gives Australia a responsibility not just to look at what lies within our borders but to look beyond them.

For too long, the high seas, the 60 per cent of the world's oceans that sits beyond national jurisdiction, have been treated as a lawless frontier, a place of unrestricted extraction, exploitation and neglect. Today, only around one per cent of the global ocean is fully protected. Imagine if we treated our forests or our wetlands with the same disregard. We would never accept it, yet the high seas regulate our climate, store vast amounts of carbon, sustain global biodiversity and generate around half the oxygen we breathe.

Before speaking about the high seas though, it is important to acknowledge the credibility Australia brings to the table. You cannot lead globally if you are failing locally. Under the Albanese Labor government, Australia's environmental record has shifted decisively from a decade of denial and drift to ambition, action and leadership. Labor has protected more than half of Australia's domestic marine environment, making our marine park system one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Just last year Labor expanded the Macquarie Island Marine Park, an area roughly the size of Germany, placing vast ecosystems under high level protection, safeguarding critical habitats for seals, albatrosses and countless other species. We have committed to the global 30 by 30 target, protecting 30 per cent of oceans by 2030, and Australia is well on track.

But the ocean does not recognise jurisdictional boundaries. Migratory species do not stop at maritime borders. If we protect our waters but allow ecosystems beyond them to collapse, our domestic conservation efforts will ultimately fail. That is why the high seas biodiversity treaty and the legislation before the House today is so important. This treaty has been more than 20 years in the making. For decades scientists and diplomats pointed out that while international law governed navigation and seabed resources it failed to adequately protect life itself beyond national borders. In June 2023 the world finally acted. The biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction treaty was adopted, a landmark achievement for multilateralism and environmental governance. Australia was there on day 1. We were a founding signatory when the treaty opened for signature, and in January this year the treaty formally entered into force after reaching the necessary number of ratifications.

This bill provides the domestic legislation required to give effect to this international commitment. It does three critical things. First, it establishes clear rules around marine genetic resources, ensuring transparency and fair benefit sharing so that discoveries of the deep ocean benefit all humanity, not just the most powerful nations. Second, it creates a pathway for establishing marine protected areas on the high seas, giving the global community the ability to say that some places are simply too precious to be exploited. Third, it requires environmental impact assessments for activities undertaken by Australian entities beyond our borders, applying the same rigour offshore that we expect here at home.

This bill also reflects Australia's commitment to regional leadership. For Pacific Island nations, the ocean is not just an environmental asset. It is culture, food, security and identity. They have been among the strongest advocates for high seas protection, and this legislation ensures Australia continues to stand with them, not speak past them. Australia currently co-chairs the preparatory commission for the first Conference of Parties later this year. If we want to shape the rules that will govern the global ocean, we must be a full participant, not an observer. This bill ensures Australia has a seat at the table. It is also about economic responsibility. Our fisheries, tourism and coastal communities all depend on healthy functioning oceans. Protecting the high seas is an investment in Australian jobs, long-term sustainability and economic resilience.

This bill is about the future. It is about ensuring that our children grow up in a world where wilderness still exists, not only on land but in the deep and distant parts of our oceans. There will always be those that say we should wait or do less, but climate change is not waiting, biodiversity loss is not waiting and ocean degradation is not waiting. This bill is a statement that Australia has turned a corner and that under Labor science, evidence and responsibility guide our environmental policy, not denial or delay. The High Seas Biodiversity Bill is Australia's contribution to a nature positive future. It strengthens our standing as a global environmental leader, a reliable regional partner and a nation willing to act when the moment demands it. I proudly commend the bill to the House.

Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 17 January 2026, the high seas treaty—formally known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, or the BBNJ—entered into force, providing a framework for the common global governance of roughly half of our planet's surface and 95 per cent of the ocean's volume. The High Seas Biodiversity Bill of 2026 is Australia's legislative response—the mechanism by which we will enshrine our obligations under that treaty into domestic law.

For most of modern history, the open ocean has been treated as a place apart—governed by custom, fragmented rules and the assumption that what lay far offshore was too vast to manage and too resilient to exhaust. But, with the high seas and seabeds beyond national jurisdictions making up 40 per cent of the surface of our planet, they're much too important to remain unprotected and unregulated. Currently, only 1.45 per cent of areas beyond national jurisdiction of the seabed and the high seas are included in marine protected areas. As a result, much of our oceans remain exposed to overfishing, pollution, deep-sea mining and the escalating effects of climate change. They're also potentially exposed to overextraction, bioprospecting and deep-sea exploitation in the absence of robust regulation.

This bill addresses obligations under three parts of the BBNJ agreement. It establishes a notification based regime for Australian entities collecting and using marine genetic resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction; it establishes a framework to recognise area based management tools, such as marine protected areas; and it establishes an environmental impact assessment regime for some undertakings within Australian jurisdiction, or by Australian entities in areas beyond national jurisdiction, that may result in impacts on the marine environment. These three pillars are complementary.

The marine genetic resources regime ensures that, when Australian scientists or companies harvest biological material from the deep ocean—material that could one day underpin new medicines, materials or agricultural technologies—there is transparency about these activities and benefit sharing built in. Marine genetic resources are biological material from marine plants, animals and other organisms with actual or potential value. The ocean contains the highest functional biodiversity on earth, much of which remains unstudied and as yet misunderstood.

Marine genetic resources have huge economic, commercial, academic and research potential. Deep-sea organisms often survive under extreme pressure and low light, producing unique enzymes and bioactive compounds that are increasingly being harnessed for medical breakthroughs, such as new antibiotics and new anti-cancer compounds. Marine genetic resources are also supporting innovations in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, industrial processes, new diagnostic techniques and research innovations.

Given Australia has one of the largest maritime jurisdictions in the world, we have both an interest in and a responsibility to steward sustainable management. Australia currently has no legal framework governing marine genetic resources taken from areas beyond our national jurisdiction. Without this legislation, Australian researchers and institutions face uncertainty about compliance and face significant risk when participating in international marine science. This bill will provide clarity, certainty and alignment with our treaty obligations.

The area-based management tools framework creates a pathway to establishing proper marine protected areas in international waters. The environmental impact assessment regime should mean that, before activities begin, harm must be considered and, where possible, minimised. The high seas treaty will play a pivotal role in advancing the global commitment to conserve at least 30 per cent of the world's oceans by 2030.

Australia is an island nation—a maritime nation. The First Nations peoples of this continent have maintained deep and enduring relationships with sea country for tens of thousands of years. Our fisheries, our tourism and our shipping all depend on a healthy and functioning ocean. This bill is, at its heart, an act of national self-interest as much as it is an act of international responsibility.

The bill has attracted broad bipartisan support, but there are some concerns with it. The Senate's scrutiny of bills committee raised concerns with the bill relating to its reversal of the evidential burden of proof, significant matters being placed in the delegated legislation, the bill's broad delegation of administrative powers, the section 96 grants to the states, and fees being in delegated legislation. The committee has sought advice from the minister on these matters, but much of the advice remains outstanding at this point. Significant matters relating to part 2 of this bill are left to delegated legislation, and that includes rules around ministerial exemptions. These are not trivial concerns, and they do remain unresolved.

Firstly, the reversal of the evidential burden of proof—in plain terms, requiring individuals or companies to prove their innocence rather than having the government need to prove their guilt—is a fundamental departure from principles that underpin our legal system. When penalties exist, as they do under this bill, this matters enormously. The government owes the parliament a clear and satisfying answer on why this has been put in place.

Secondly, this bill has not yet been referred to a Senate committee for inquiry. Complex legislation—especially legislation that creates new criminal offences or new administrative regimes and which interacts with multiple existing frameworks, including the EPBC Act and the UNCLOS—benefits enormously from the scrutiny that committee inquiry provides. I suggest to the House that this bill deserves that scrutiny.

Thirdly, the environmental impact assessment regime has structural vulnerability. It largely relies on self-assessment. The first step in the process is essentially a self-assessment of whether a referral is required—whether a person proposing to carry out an activity must refer that activity to the minister if they think or believe that the impacts of the activity have resulted or may result in substantial pollution. It's pretty clear that corporate actors faced with costly assessments that may delay or prevent profitable activities have an obvious and pretty significant incentive to believe that those impacts will be minor. We've seen this dynamic play out across environmental regulation globally. Self-referral without independent screening mechanisms is a known weakness in environmental governance, and it's really disappointing to see the government, in this bill, committing a mistake that we've seen far too many times before.

Fourthly, the ultimate test of this legislation will be what happens next internationally, not domestically. This agreement will not by itself reverse decades of damage. Whether or not governments are prepared to accept real constraints on their activities in international waters will determine whether this agreement marks a turning point or merely another broken promise. Proposals for area based management tools—the most powerful tool in this framework, namely marine protected areas—are unlikely to be considered until the second COP at the earliest. In the meantime, what the BBNJ does not do is replace existing bodies. Regional fisheries management organisations and the International Seabed Authority will continue to regulate their respective sectors. How the new treaty's conservation ambitions will mesh with those institutions remains unclear, and it seems pretty likely that we're going to have at least some disputes over authority.

Finally, the bill explicitly excludes Antarctica and the convention area from key provisions. Parts 2, 3 and 4 all contain this carve-out. While there is a legal basis for this in Australia's obligations under the Antarctic Treaty System, its practical effect is that some of the most biologically important and ecologically fragile waters on Earth could well receive less protection under this framework.

The High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 establishes a long-overdue framework for protecting marine genetic resources, strengthening Australia's compliance with our international obligations and providing certainty for our scientific, commercial and research communities. It will contribute to advances in understanding and sustainable use of one of the largest and least understood parts of our beautiful planet. If properly enforced, it should ensure that Australia plays its part in safeguarding biodiversity and share in the benefits of those resources. I commend the bill to the House.

Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to raise my voice in strong support of the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 that speaks not just to policy but to purpose. This is about leadership—leadership that respects science, leadership that values our natural world and leadership that acts with urgency, because the decisions we make now will echo for generations. At its core, this bill enables Australia to protect biodiversity beyond our national waters and across the vast, fragile ecosystems of the high seas. And these oceans cover more than half the Earth's surface. They regulate our climate, sustain global fisheries and support extraordinary life, yet they remain amongst the least protected.

The legislation before the House this evening will ratify the high seas treaty, embed it in Australian law and establish frameworks to regulate damaging activities like unregulated fishing, seabed mining and pollution. It will also support the creation of marine protected areas where ecosystems are most at risk, guided by science and international cooperation. The stakes could not be higher. Without action, we face collapsing fish stocks, disrupted carbon cycles and irreversible damage to marine ecosystems we are only just beginning to understand now. For Australia, an island nation and steward of extraordinary marine environments, inaction is not neutral. It's a choice that actively accelerates the degradation of ecosystems. It's a choice against our climate goals, our regional leadership and future generations.

In Newcastle, my home town, the ocean is central to our way of life. From Stockton Beach to Nobbys Headland and all the way down to the gorgeous Glenrock Lagoon, from our ocean baths to the surfers up and down our coast, across to the whales, travelling the Humpback Highway every year, our connection to the sea runs deep. It shapes our identity. It supports local jobs. It underpins tourism and small business. When oceans suffer, so too do our communities.

Labor has a strong record of environmental protection. We rejected the PEP11 exploration permit off the coast of Newcastle. Listening to both the science and the people of Newcastle, and since coming to office in 2022, Labor has protected more than 100 million hectares of land and sea. We've strengthened emissions reduction mechanisms, invested in renewable energy and backed scientists and traditional owners to deliver real environmental conservation outcomes. This is what effective environmental leadership looks like. It's not slogans but decisions that stand up. They stand up in our communities. They're going to stand up in our courts. It puts us on a secure footing.

In contrast, we've got members in this House who often opt to delay denial and go for short-term thinking. When science calls for urgency, they offer hesitation. When the moment demands action, they fall back on politics. Well, this bill is a test of whether we are serious about protecting our environment or content to just fall behind. Importantly, this legislation is backed by a broad coalition of scientists, environmental organisations and community advocates. Groups like Surfers for Climate, Greenpeace, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Save our Marine Life are united in calling for stronger ocean protections. They represent Australians who see firsthand the impacts of warming waters, pollution and biodiversity loss—and they are clear: the science is settled, the need is urgent and the time to act is now.

This bill reflects that consensus. It demonstrates what is possible when we listen to the evidence, to the experts and to our communities and when we match that with the will to act. It also reflects Australia's role on the global stage. Oceans do not recognise borders, and protecting them requires cooperation. This legislation positions Australia as a constructive partner, working with our Pacific neighbours and international community to safeguard the health of our shared seas. If we fail to act, the cost will not be abstract. It will be borne by future generations, through environmental decline, economic loss and diminished global standing.

Not a single law will solve this crisis overnight, but this is a critical step towards healthier oceans, stronger ecosystems and a more sustainable future. In this place, we can choose to lead. We can choose to act with courage, guided by science and responsibility. That's why I commend this bill to the House.

Tom French (Moore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. This bill concerns areas beyond national jurisdiction, but its consequences are not distant. It goes directly to the health of the ocean systems that sustain Australia's environment, economy and coastal communities. For my electorate of Moore, that connection is immediate. From Trigg through to Iluka, our coastline is central to how people live, work and engage with their community. Clean beaches, healthy marine life and a stable coastline are not abstract environmental outcomes. They are the foundation of local recreation, small-business activity and community life.

This bill gives effect to Australia's obligations under the high seas treaty, which was signed in 2023. It establishes the domestic framework required for Australia to ratify the agreement and participate in its implementation. Around 60 per cent of global ocean lies beyond national jurisdictions, yet only a very small portion of this is currently protected. These areas are not separate from us. Ocean systems are interconnected, and what occurs beyond our borders ultimately affects our coastline. That reality is evident in Moore. Pressures such as pollution, changing marine conditions and impacts on fish stocks do not originate solely within Australian waters.

This bill responds to that challenge by establishing a regulatory framework across three areas. The first is marine genetic resources, which are biological materials from the ocean with scientific and commercial value. The bill introduces a notification regime requiring Australian entities to disclose their collection and use. This promotes transparency and ensures that access to these resources is managed responsibly within an international framework. There is a clear local connection. Western Australia is home to significant marine research capability, and that work is increasingly translating into practical outcomes. In Moore, projects such as Uluu, at the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, demonstrate how marine research can support sustainable industry, including alternatives to plastic. This legislation supports that work by providing a consistent framework for how marine resources are accessed and utilised.

Second, the bill enables Australia to participate in the creation and management of protected areas on the high seas. This contributes to the global objective of protecting 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030. Australia already has a strong domestic record in marine protection. This bill extends that approach beyond our jurisdiction. That matters in Moore. Marine ecosystems do not operate in isolation. The effectiveness of protections within Australian waters is influenced by what occurs beyond them. Without coordinated international management, those protections are undermined.

Third, the bill establishes a regime requiring activities undertaken by Australian entities in areas beyond national jurisdiction to be assessed for their environmental impact. This ensures that risks are identified and addressed before activities proceed. It is a familiar regulatory approach, but its extension to the high seas represents a significant development in global environmental governance. For coastal communities like Moore, this is a practical safeguard. Environmental harm in international waters does not remain contained. It ultimately affects our shoreline.

The bill also embeds a precautionary approach, ensuring that uncertainty is not used as a reason to delay action where there is a risk of environmental harm. In addition, it establishes a compliance and enforcement framework, including strengthened civil penalties to ensure the regime is effective in practice. There is also a strategic dimension to this legislation. The high seas are governed through international cooperation, and, without ratification of the agreement, Australia would not participate in decisions that shape how those areas are managed. This bill ensures that Australia has a voice in those processes and can contribute to outcomes in our region.

There is also a clear economic interest. Coastal economies depend on the long-term health of marine environments. In Moore, local businesses, tourism operators and community organisations rely on access to a clean and stable coastal environment. Protecting that environment is not only an environmental objective; it's an economic one. The bill ensures that activity is conducted responsibly, transparently and in accordance with agreed international standards.

This legislation reflects a straightforward principle: the condition of our coastline is shaped by not only what we do within our borders but what occurs beyond them. For the people of Moore, this bill is a practical step in protecting the environment they rely on every day. It supports sustainable industry, sustains international cooperation and ensures Australia is contributing to the responsible management of the global ocean. For those reasons, I commend the bill to the House.

Simon Kennedy (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition proudly supports the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. This legislation is necessary to finally put in place the UN high seas treaty after years of delay under Labor. The people of Cook are huge supporters of the ocean—as am I. Proudly announced as Australia's best beach in 2026, Bate Bay is the pride of the Sutherland Shire, much of Sydney and much of Australia.

The coalition has a proud history on seas and marine parks. It was the coalition who created the first marine park, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It was the coalition that created our first national oceans policy. It was the coalition who made the Great Australian Bight Marine Park, in the member for Grey's electorate. It created the framework that allowed the south-east marine parks to be created, and it did the first large expansion of marine parks. So the coalition have a proud history of supporting our seas and the environment, and we're keen to continue that by supporting this bill.

Under the leadership of the coalition, Australia was engaged in the UN negotiations on these issues, ensuring that Australia's exclusive economic zone, which is the third-largest in the world, was legally recognised. As a nation, we've benefited enormously as a result of this in terms of protecting our environment and managing our abundant national resources and beautiful oceans. The negotiations for the high seas treaty happened under the coalition government until 2022. The Albanese government became a signatory to the treaty in 2024, and it's taken Labor around two years to get to this point of ratification. Already more than 80 other countries, almost 85, have ratified this treaty. Our understanding is Labor are now only getting to this as there are international meetings later this year. We're getting there late, but it's better late than never—almost the 85th country. It is especially disappointing when the coalition had offered bipartisan support for this legislation throughout the entire process.

This bill seeks to create a new regulatory regime and rules to implement obligations under the treaty, including on marine genetic resources and digital sequence information, area based management tools and environmental impact assessments. This should be done in a way that complements and does not duplicate existing global and regional rules and settings. In addition, the government has adopted the global target of protecting 30 per cent of the world's marine areas by 2030. This is a noble idea. We know this Labor government is often big on targets but let's hope they can follow through on the delivery. When it comes to many other targets, they're falling short, but we hope to work with them to ensure that our seas are protected, that it's in the national interest and that it's bipartisan with both. The coalition looks forward to the government's plans in this area, working with them to make it bipartisan. We understand some of the plans to help achieve the target are being reviewed. We look forward to that more detail, and we look forward to working with this government to protect our national oceans, to protect these treasures and to protect the local environment.

Trish Cook (Bullwinkel, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. For a nation like Australia, an island continent defined by its relationship with the sea, this legislation is a historic step towards securing the blue heart of our planet. Beyond our national waters lie the high seas. This vast expanse covers 60 per cent of the global ocean yet currently only one per cent of these waters are protected. Today, the Albanese government is acting on that.

This bill implements Australia's obligation under the BBNJ Agreement—the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction—also known as the High Seas Treaty. By passing this legislation, we enable Australia to formally ratify this treaty. This will ensure that we remain a global leader in marine protection and a founding party to this landmark international framework. This bill is structured into eight parts designed to provide a robust, transparent and enforceable regulatory regime.

At its core, part 1 mandates a precautionary approach. This ensures that, even when scientific data is evolving, we prioritise the marine health of every decision made under this act. Part 2 addresses the frontier of deep sea discovery, marine genetic resources. It enables a notification based regime to ensure that discoveries made in the global commons, such as new medical compounds, are managed transparently, with information deposited and shared in regulated databases for the benefit of all.

Parts 3 and 4 provide the practical teeth of the treaty. Part 3 allows Australia to give effect to the International Marine Protected Areas, helping us reach the global 30 by 30 target—30 per cent protecting Australia's land and 30 per cent of its marine areas by 2030. Part 4 introduces a rigorous environmental impact assessment regime and this ensures that any activity within our jurisdiction that might harm the high seas is subject to the same high standards that we demand within our own borders.

We're also ensuring that this regime is accountable. Part 5 establishes a public high seas biodiversity register, providing transparencies for certificates and exemptions. Part 6 provides the necessary compliance and enforcement powers, allowing for inspectors, audits and civil penalties to ensure that the rules are followed. Parts 7 and 8 handle the essential administration, including information management and the ability to provide financial assistance to meet our international obligations. Crucially, this act will be subject to 10-yearly reviews to ensure that it remains fit for purpose as our ocean changes.

Some people may ask why this matters to the people of Australia. The answer is simple: our marine industries, including fisheries and tourism, rely on a healthy ocean. The fish stocks in our waters do not recognise international boundaries. By protecting the high seas, we are safeguarding the health of our own coastal ecosystems and of course the environment and the creatures that live in these areas, and the thousands of jobs that depend on these industries. The Albanese Labor government is committed to working with our partners in the region and beyond. Ratifying this treaty demonstrates our commitment to international law and our dedication to protecting marine life for generations to come. This bill is about legacy. It's about ensuring that the blue heart of our planet continues to beat for our children and our grandchildren. I commend this bill to the House.

Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For my communities on the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast, the ocean is part of everyday life. From surfers to fishers, from local cafes to tourism operators, the ocean shapes our economy and our identity. As a Surf Coast local for more than 30 years, I know just how deeply our communities care about our oceans and the need to protect them. They want to see marine life thrive. They want to ensure future generations can enjoy our coastlines, and they expect us, as their representatives, to get the balance right. For coastal communities, this is real. It is local and it matters. That's why the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026 is so important and much needed.

This legislation gives effect to Australia's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This bill allows Australia to implement and ratify that global agreement, and, importantly, it will help protect biodiversity on the high seas. To clarify, the term 'the high seas' relates to ocean that lies beyond the national waters of any country. They are not under the direct control of any single nation, and they make up the majority of the world's oceans. They cover roughly two-thirds of all oceans across the globe and around half of the planet's surface. Because they sit beyond national borders, they have historically been difficult to manage. No single country is responsible for protecting them, and yet the health of these waters affects everyone.

We know the ocean is one connected ecosystem. Ocean currents move nutrients, fish and pollution across the globe. The health of marine ecosystems far from our coastline can influence our fisheries, our weather patterns and our biodiversity close to home. This treaty is not about just us. It is about global protection of a global asset: our oceans. As the world gets smaller, the need for stronger protection grows. That's why protecting biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction is not simply a theoretical international issue. It is central to the long-term health of the global ocean, and it is firmly in Australia's national interest.

The agreement ratified by this bill is built around four key pillars. The first concerns marine genetic resources. Marine organisms often contain unique genetic material that can be valuable for research, medicine and biotechnology. The treaty establishes rules around how these resources are collected and used and how the benefits arising from them are shared fairly. The second pillar relates to area based management tools, including the establishment of marine protected areas on the high seas. These tools will allow countries to work together to protect important ecosystems beyond national jurisdiction. The third pillar focuses on environmental impact assessments. Before activities that could harm the marine environment take place, their impacts must be properly assessed. This ensures that development and research activities are carried out responsibly. The fourth pillar deals with capacity building and technology transfer. Many countries do not yet have the resources or capability to monitor and protect marine biodiversity effectively. The treaty creates mechanisms for sharing knowledge, technology and expertise. Together, these pillars form the first comprehensive international system for protecting biodiversity on the high seas.

This bill is about responsibility: responsibility for our environment, responsibility for our communities and responsibility for future generations. The ocean connects us all, and protecting it is a shared task. In my electorate, people understand what is at stake. They see the ocean every day, they rely on it and they can expect us to act. This bill meets that expectation. It strengthens Australia's leadership, it protects our national interest and it contributes to a global effort to safeguard the health of our oceans. If we want our communities to continue to thrive, if we want our environment to be protected and if we want future generations to enjoy what we all enjoy today, then we must act. This bill is part of that action. I commend the bill to the House.

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

I begin by paying my respects to First Nations people as the traditional custodians of both land and sea country in Australia. First Nations peoples have sustainably used and managed coastal land and sea for more than 65,000 years, and many continue to do so today. Their knowledge and stewardship of the marine environment is an essential element in Australia's ocean story. Australia is an island nation, and the ocean is at the heart of our national identity. It is critical to our economic prosperity, health and social wellbeing, and it connects us with our region and the rest of the world. Unfortunately, however, our oceans face substantial threats, including from climate change, overfishing, and plastic and other pollution.

I am fortunate to be the member for Whitlam, which is blessed with breathtaking coastal landscapes in the southern Illawarra region, and my electorate office in Shellharbour is not far from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. One of the jewels in my electorate is the Farm at Killalea, which is regarded as the best beach in New South Wales and the second-best beach in Australia. This stunningly beautiful place is one of my favourite places in the world. About four years ago, the local community succeeded in its campaign to save this extraordinary place from development, and today the 260 hectare Killalea state park is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service as a regional park. This is a fantastic outcome for all those who spent years campaigning against proposed development, including the 682 surfers who jumped on their surfboards and set a new world record for a paddle-out protest.

I'm privileged to be a member of parliament's Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, and I'm also co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Ocean and Sustainable Development. I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the vitally important role that Jas Chambers and Dr Lucy Buxton from Ocean Decade Australia are playing in supporting the work of the Parliamentary Friends of Ocean and Sustainable Development. My roles on this group and the relevant committee only intensify my interest in this bill.

I'm extremely proud of the actions taken by the Albanese Labor government when it comes to protecting our ocean and marine environments. In 2023, we tripled the size of Macquarie Island Marine Park, which lies between Tasmania and Antarctica and is a critical feeding and breeding ground for millions of seabirds and thousands of seals and penguins. A year later, in 2024, we expanded the subantarctic Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Park by almost 310,000 square kilometres, which is an area larger than Italy. As a result, Australia now protects more ocean than any other country on earth and for the first time more than half of Australia's oceans are under protection. Our marine protected areas now cover 52 per cent of Australian waters and a mind-blowing 4.6 million square kilometres of ocean.

The objective of the high seas biodiversity treaty is to strengthen the conservation and sustainable use of marine diversity in areas beyond national jurisdictions, and this is critically important. It was adopted at the United Nations on 19 June 2023 and opened for signature on 20 September 2023. Australia signed on day one, making us a founding signatory. The treaty entered into force on 17 January 2026. However, Australia is among a small number of nations that require legislation prior to ratification, which is why this bill is before the House.

The treaty focuses on the high seas, which sit outside individual countries, national waters and exclusive economic zones. The high seas cover more than 60 per cent of the global ocean, yet only about one per cent is currently protected. The treaty has four main parts. The first part focuses on marine genetic resources, including the fair and equitable sharing of benefits. The second part focuses on area based management tools, including marine protected areas. The third part of the treaty establishes a regime for the environmental impact assessment of activities. The fourth part of the treaty focuses on capacity building and the transfer of marine technologies.

I am proud that the Albanese Labor government is a recognised leader when it comes to the high seas biodiversity treaty. We were one of the first countries to sign it and we have been leading, with Belize, the international negotiations to prepare the treaty for implementation. I support this bill wholeheartedly and am proud to be contributing to its passage through parliament.

Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last year, I attended the Australian launch of David Attenborough's Ocean documentary. It was a stark lesson in the scale at which humanity is impacting our blue planet. I was struck by images of the bottom trawlers ploughing the seabed, scars so deep they can be seen from space, ripping coral to shreds and destroying ecosystems that took millennia to form.

Every year, 10 million tonnes of marine life are wasted as bycatch. Much of this collapse is invisible to the public, but it's happening on our watch. However, in a way only David Attenborough can, the film also gave us hope. It showed that when we protect, the sea life bounces back quickly and with incredible resilience. The documentary's final plea was simple: protect the high seas; ratify the treaty. With the passage of the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026, Australia does exactly that.

Our oceans cover 70 per cent of the earth, inhabit over a million species and absorb 90 per cent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions. For Australia, the stakes are even higher. Our marine industries contribute over $200 billion to our economy and support over 700,000 jobs. And whilst we've protected over half of our own waters, globally it's a very different story. Sixty per cent of the world's oceans lie beyond national boundaries, yet currently only one per cent of these waters are protected. Australia cannot secure a positive environmental or economic future while the rest of the world's oceans remain the wild west.

This bill allows Australia to ratify the UN's high seas treaty, the first comprehensive legal framework in history designed to protect the oceans. Joining 81 other nations committing to a global 30 by 30 target, this treaty allows us to protect our oceans. It's an operational turning point involving scientific reporting and government systems to protect our planet. It's also further evidence that Labor takes the environment and climate change seriously. Since 2022, we've moved past a decade of political pointscoring and returned Australia to its position as a credible global leader in conservation and climate action. We understand that a healthy ocean underpins everything: our fisheries, our tourism, our coastal economies and our cultural identity. As a government, we are protecting the environment not just because it's the right thing to do but because it's fundamental to our long-term national prosperity. The high seas are a shared global responsibility. By joining with 81 other nations, led by Belize, and by ratifying this treaty, we are demonstrating our commitment to international law and to the health of our planet.

I want to thank the advocates who helped get this over the line, including Drew Alsop and Damian Spruce from the Minderoo Foundation, as well as the Parliamentary Friends of the Ocean and the Parliamentary Friends of Sustainable Development. They've all worked really hard to put the environment at the forefront of what a good government does. Be it on this, be it on environmental law reform passed late last year or be it on setting an achievable and ambitious emissions reduction target, I hope that Australians know we have the environment and care for our ecosystems at the centre of what we do. We owe our existence today to a healthy planet, and today, by passing this bill, hopefully we take a step towards ensuring that the existence of this beautiful planet continues for generations to come. We don't have any other option; we need to look after this planet.