Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to stand here today in the Senate as a North Queenslander. Not only am I very lucky and proud to have the Great Barrier Reef on my doorstep, and all the jobs that the Great Barrier Reef supports; I'm very pleased to say that we are also home to some of the best scientists in the country, if not the world. I'd like to put on record a few recent achievements of our home-grown talent and how their efforts day in, day out are making a difference to the Great Barrier Reef. Late last week the 34th National Banksia Sustainability Awards were held. These awards are about recognising leaders, change makers and innovators who are making a positive impact on the world. The awards are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

I'm very pleased to advise the Senate that the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, RRRC, have taken out the silverware and returned to Cairns with not one but two awards. They picked up the biodiversity award for their science led approach to combat the highly destructive marine pest that is the crown-of-thorns starfish. It is the innovation of groups like this that has ultimately led to the serious focus and serious investment in the fight against the crown-of-thorns starfish. I'm proud to say that the Albanese Labor government is investing $162 million over the next eight years in the COTS Control Program to suppress outbreaks of the coral-eating predators. The RRRC have also taken out the agricultural and regional development award. They've been doing some incredibly impressive work in the Russell-Mulgrave catchment, just south of Cairns, for a few years now. They've teamed up with James Cook University's TropWATER and worked in very close partnership with canegrowers in the region to achieve sustainable change in farming practices. I'm very pleased to say I had the privilege in February this year of hitting the road and jumping in the water in Far North Queensland with these groups to see the work that they are doing. Congratulations. We're so proud of the work that you do.