Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I was acknowledging the traditional owners and custodians of the land and waters, air and sky of what we now call the Beetaloo and connected basins. The traditional owners are still protecting country from desecration. They come from many nations and clans, but they have come together to fight for country—what do you know? I salute them and I support them 100 per cent. Everyone in this place must listen to their voices. They are standing united against the desecration of their lands, against the poisoning of their waters. They fight for country like their ancestors, their law men and women, how our old people have always looked after this country before the colonisers came, before they rocked up on their boats. Through my amendments to the second reading motion and in the Committee of the Whole, I am bringing their fight into this chamber—not outside; into this chamber. I hope to get support from all of you on this—well, some.

My second reading amendment also seeks to ensure that First Nations people are given opportunities in carbon offset projects. While I am of the view that we should be cutting emissions as much as possible and as quickly as possible before using offsets, I recognise that there are genuine land-based solutions to drawing down carbon. This includes First Nations management of country, including sea country. This includes but is not limited to savanna burning. It involves cultural burns; managing feral animals, like wild boars; and land regeneration. Projects on sea country include but are not limited to the cultivation and harvesting of seaweed and kelp. Our people have been farming seaweed since time immemorial for food, fibre and medicine. Seaweed farming also offers opportunities for reducing methane emissions in agriculture by using seaweed as a supplement in cattle feed.

I will seek to ensure that First Nations people are at the forefront of leading these projects in their own waters. This amendment also calls on the government to ensure their support for First-Nations-led verification assessments in carbon sequestration projects. This means that First Nations people can assess the environmental, social and cultural values of carbon farming and sequestration projects. This must also be paired with investment in training for these purposes in First Nations communities—in all First Nations communities, including mob in regional and remote areas and on missions and reserves. I will continue working with the government and hope to get their support for this amendment. I look forward to continue working with the government and others in this parliament to ensure that First Nations justice remains at the core of climate action in this country. I move:

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate calls on the Government to:

(a) in line with its commitment to implementing Recommendation 9.8 of the final report of the Pepper Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory, ensure the gas industry in the Northern Territory's Beetaloo Basin is required to offset all Scope 2 emissions, in addition to referring this matter to the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council and working with the Northern Territory Government to achieve this, and

(b) support First Nations communities in carbon sequestration projects on Country, including but not limited to savanna burning, and on Sea Country, including but not limited to kelp farming; and

(c) support First Nations-led verification assessment of environmental, social and cultural values of carbon farming and sequestration projects and invest in training for these purposes in First Nations communities, including but not limited to communities in regional and remote areas and on missions and reserves".

The Senat e transcript was published up to 22:00 . The remainder of the transcript will be published progressively as it is completed.