Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Hansard source

I thank all the members who have contributed to this debate on the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026, and I recognise in particular the contribution of Senator Whish-Wilson. We are all aware that Senator Whish-Wilson will be finishing up in this place over the next few months, and I recognise his long-term commitment to ocean conservation as one of the things he has fought for. I hope he feels a degree of satisfaction that this bill will be passed prior to his departure from this chamber.

As we've heard here today this bill seeks to facilitate Australia's ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, also known as the high seas biodiversity treaty or the BBNJ agreement. The treaty was adopted at the United Nations on 19 June 2023 after nearly 20 years of international negotiations, and Australia was one of the first countries to sign it, on 20 September 2023. Australia is one of the few countries internationally that requires legislation to be passed in order to ratify a treaty, and that day has now arrived with the debate of this legislation.

The treaty creates stronger protections for our ocean by establishing a regime to conserve and sustainably use marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, being the high seas and seabed outside our maritime borders. As a maritime nation, a healthy and resilient ocean is at the heart of our economy, wellbeing, national identity and regional security. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have cared for sea country for more than 65,000 years.

Ratifying this treaty will bring real benefits to Australians. It will allow us to fully participate in international decision-making, lead the treaty's implementation in our region and work together with other states to build a healthier and more resilient ocean. It will support Australian businesses and our world-class research sector by creating a clear and level regulatory framework that puts everyone on an equal footing. It will compliment our extensive domestic network of marine parks, which already protects 52 per cent of our maritime jurisdiction, and it will contribute to the global target to protect 30 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2030.

Around 60 per cent of the global ocean is beyond national jurisdiction, but only around one per cent is currently protected. This bill and the treaty that underpins it offer a pathway to increase those percentages. We share the ocean with other nations. Many threats to Australia's marine estate originate outside our national waters, such as plastic pollution; climate change; and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. We cannot safeguard the health of the ocean or the prosperity of marine industries without cooperating with other nations. That's why we need this treaty and this legislation.

The treaty will also play an important role in ensuring peace and stability in our region by supporting the rules based multilateral system, enhancing international ocean cooperation and strengthening our regional and bilateral relationships. The High Seas Biodiversity Bill creates a regulatory regime to ensure Australian activities are undertaken consistent with this new treaty. This includes regulating the collection and use of marine genetic resources from areas beyond national jurisdiction, a framework for Australia to recognise area based management tools established by the treaty, such as marine protected areas, and a process for environmental impact assessments for certain activities that are carried out in, or that would have an impact on, areas beyond national jurisdiction. So you can see just from that quick summary that there are a number of measures contained in this bill that will dramatically expand the conservation of the ocean estate outside national boundaries.

Australia has engaged in the more than 20 years of discussion and negotiations for this treaty, and we are co-chairing the process to prepare for the first meeting of the conference of the parties. This bill is necessary for Australia to ratify the treaty and to safeguard the health of our shared ocean, support our thriving ocean economy for future generations and maintain our hard earned reputation as a global ocean leader. I thank all members who have contributed to this debate. I also thank the many environmental non-government organisations that have campaigned for a long time to have this legislation passed. I also recognise the constructive engagement of a number of industry groups as we've developed this legislation. On that basis, I commend the bill to the chamber.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.