Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Labor was not consulted in advance on this motion. We will not be supporting it. The motion should note that the Queensland government introduced legislation to reduce land clearing and protect the Great Barrier Reef, but the legislation was defeated. It is surprising that the Greens clearly do not consider the following to be critical infrastructure: the NBN and all communications infrastructure; all social infrastructure, and not just schools and hospitals; universities; research facilities; roads; rail; airports; ports; cycleways and walkways; water storage and treatment; energy distribution and transmission; and any other major infrastructure that supports our nation's development and prosperity. It is also surprising to see the Greens call the Great Barrier Reef, and apparently no other reefs, infrastructure. Infrastructure is created by humans to serve human activity. Reefs are living entities in their own right that must be protected as natural assets.