Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Hansard source

I too am pleased to make a contribution on the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Amendment (Coronavirus Economic Response Package) Bill 2020. I thank senators who have made a contribution to this debate—Senator Dodson, Senator Waters and Senator Rennick. It is an incredibly important issue. Everyone has touched on the importance of the tourism industry. Everyone has touched on how significant an employer this industry is to, in particular, the regional communities within the state of Queensland that run up and down alongside the Great Barrier Reef. I don't think anyone in this chamber has ever understated the importance of that industry and what it means to the tens of thousands of Queenslanders who actually work in that industry.

The bill we are debating today, as others have outlined, makes amendments to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, which enables the waiver of the environmental management charge from 1 January 2020 through to 31 March 2020. Waiving the charging of that fee will provide financial relief to the many tourism business operators that work in that geographic area and, indeed, other relevant permission holders impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. There is a lot of talk of economic stimulus in the form of stimulus payments, taxpayers' money being handed on to a third party—a household, a business, a community group or whoever it might be—and a lot of those measures do have their place. But we are talking about businesses that are doing it tough. We are talking about businesses that, overnight, went from being fully booked to nothing. Every boat that went out onto the reef and every hotel back on shore was full, particularly as we led into the Easter holidays. So we have said: 'We are not going to charge these fees. That is money going back to you.'

We did the same in the fisheries space, with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. I know that is a separate entity, but I think it is important to highlight that we need to provide support that is appropriate—like relief for the private sector from the burden of government charges like this. Where possible, I think we should do it. It is a move that has been welcomed by the Queensland tourism industry. I have worked hard with groups like Tourism Whitsundays and Advance Cairns. Warren Entsch, the member for Leichardt, and Mr Christensen, who has a seat nearby, have invited me to speak to those groups to understand from them exactly the hardships that tourism operators in those regions are facing. These changes are very welcome by them.

I do dispute the claims that were made by Senator Waters in her contribution earlier around support for the reef. In one statement she said we were doing nothing; in the next she said we were providing half a billion dollars to support the reef and then referred to the entity that was in charge of administering that funding as an entity 'shrouded in controversy'. I'll tell you what: the only reason there was any controversy is that political parties like the Australian Greens besmirched the characters of those who were in charge of administering that charity and the funds that were being handed over. So, to say that nothing's happening—wrong. And to say that the people who are doing it in the form of this charity are doing nothing—again, wrong.

This bill will ensure that there will be no reduction in revenue that goes to the management of the Great Barrier Reef. Indeed, we've just talked about half a billion dollars worth of funding that is going into supporting the work that needs to be done in the reef. It supports our tourism industry and it is a massive win for that sector. I commend the bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.