Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Exactly. I was just outlining something I've been raising for a number of years. When I first raised it, I think the department said no-one had brought this to their attention, and, of course, it wasn't in the Samuel review. But you are aware, as you've had a number of groups raise this issue with you. On the record today, for those groups who are obviously very disappointed that there's nothing in this package today to remove shark nets from continuous use exemptions or a pathway forward on how to do that, could you explain whether the government has looked at this and why there was no concession made on this? You've obviously made concessions, which we're very grateful for, on land clearing, the Great Barrier Reef catchment and critical vegetation, but these nets have been weapons of mass destruction off our coastline now for many, many decades. They are exempt from federal environment laws.

The Senate did recommend, back in 2016, that the government review this and have a very important role to play in providing information—which could be provided through Environmental Information Australia, for example—on the impacts on protected and threatened species, target sharks and non-target sharks. Why didn't your government consider removing the exemption or, at least, reviewing the exemption with this once-in-a-generation reform? What have you got to say to those Australians who are very disappointed that this is not in the bill?