Fatima Payman (WA, Australia's Voice) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of Senator McKim's motion. Western Australians know what's at stake when we talk about climate change and our reefs. Ningaloo Reef is one of the most breathtaking places on Earth, a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and coral gardens that people travel across the globe to see. But Ningaloo, like Scott Reef further north, is under serious threat from rising ocean temperatures, coral bleaching and the impact of restless fossil fuel expansion. These reefs are not only natural wonders; they are the heart of local economies, supporting tourism, fishing and small businesses up and down the Coral Coast.

That's why the government must release this national climate risk assessment report immediately. Western Australians deserve to know whether the government's climate plans will actually protect Ningaloo or whether they are setting us up for more bleaching, more biodiversity loss and more coastal flooding. I've spoken with locals in WA who say they don't want their kids growing up only hearing stories of a reef that once was. They want them to experience its magic, to swim along a whale shark, to see the coral alive and thriving. Keeping this report secret only fuels suspicion. We need transparency, we need honesty and we need action that matches the scale of this risk.

Ningaloo, Scott Reef and our coastlines are too precious to gamble with. If the government claim that they are serious, then release the report. Let Australians see the risks for themselves and let's get on with protecting the places we all love very much.