E&OE….
Topics: Great Barrier Reef Long-Term Sustainability Plan
LARRY EMDUR:
Now yesterday the Federal Government announced its long term plan for the Great Barrier Reef. An estimated $2 billion will be invested in the next decade to sustain the marine ecosystem.
MONIQUE WRIGHT:
Now the plan brings together both State and Federal Governments as well as land holders. But some critics have said that it’s not enough and it’s weak. Joining us to discuss this is Environment Minister Greg Hunt.
Good morning to you Minister. Could we just start by quickly outlining the main strategies of this plan to protect the Reef?
GREG HUNT:
So there are three main things in the plan. Firstly of course, is the task and the vision of improving the water quality of the reef each successive decade between now and 2050. Nobody’s ever done such an ambitious and overarching plan.
Secondly it’s the investment of funds, which is the two billion dollars which has been the amount, but we’ve just added to it $100 million from the Australian Government and $100 million from the Queensland Government focusing purely on water quality, reducing the run-off from farms which has an impact in terms of sediment and nitrogen and pesticides, the big thing that will help the Reef.
And thirdly, we’ve just ended the practice, a 100 year practice of dredge disposal in the marine park from major projects. We inherited five big projects. That’s down to zero, and we’re putting in place a permanent ban. It’s really once in a generation, if not once in a century stuff.
LARRY EMDUR:
Greg, that is a big turnaround, so let’s talk about it for a moment. The plan, as you said, bans the dumping of dredge spoil in that marine park. Now, previously you’ve supported this controversial practice at Abbot Point, so not the first time a politician or politics have turned around. But what changed your mind on this one?
GREG HUNT:
Well, let me actually draw a distinction here. I received from the previous Labor Government at State level and the previous Federal Government a proposal that was more than 30 decisions down the track. The last decision was simply a legal decision.
But I then worked with the first Queensland Government and now the subsequent Queensland Government to have that material brought on land. And because I didn’t think the law was good enough, and as a Minister you have to operate within the law, I also set out to change the law, so we’ve changed the practice of five massive proposals that we inherited. They’re all gone on our watch.
And now we’ve changed the law and I’m feeling that this will make a real difference to the Reef over the long term. It is important to remember this is an area the size of Germany, the size of Italy, and what we see is that there are some small ports that were there long before the marine park was announced and put into being, but right now we’ve made changes that have never occurred in history.
We’re improving water quality. The run-off has improved so the sediment’s down eleven per cent, the nitrogen is down sixteen per cent. Really significant things.
MONIQUE WRIGHT:
On the topic of coal Minister, the massive expansion of the Queensland mining operations is obviously having an impact on the reef. Can we conceivably save the Great Barrier Reef while also shipping millions of tonnes of coal across it?
GREG HUNT:
Could you just explain to me how it’s having an impact?
MONIQUE WRIGHT:
To be able to use it as a shipping lane essentially, and therefore to be constantly going over the top of it with this coal, do you believe that that is going to continue to be an issue?
GREG HUNT:
Well, I haven’t seen any serious analysis that ships travelling over an area the size of Germany when there are only, on average, a very small number of ships by world standards, has any significant impact. We have done things to reduce massive proposals which were in play previously.
For example, what’s happening now at Abbot Point is 1/38th the size of what had been proposed under the previous Queensland Labor Government. Dramatic changes in shipping management. If you look around the world, this area has one of the smallest footprints for an area with ports that had been in place for 100 years. So this is quite a dramatic turn around.
LARRY EMDUR:
So, Minister, when we hear phrases like ‘shipping super highway’. Are you saying- what do you say when you hear words, phrases like that? Because that’s what keeps coming up in this discussion.
GREG HUNT:
Well that is what some of the groups say. And they of course want to close down all mining in Queensland, and I understand that that’s their view. But these are towns such as Gladstone and Townsville and some people would want to close them down.
I would say most Australians would look at that and say what I care about is the quality of water in the Reef, the dramatic improvements in run-off from farms, water quality is everything. But if you’re saying, as the green groups do, that we shouldn’t be allowed to have tourism ships or that we have to close down ports I don’t think anybody serious is actually proposing that. What we do have to do…
MONIQUE WRIGHT:
I think those green groups would disagree with you that they’re not serious, Minister.
GREG HUNT:
… dramatically change the way things have been done. Pardon?
MONIQUE WRIGHT:
I think those green groups would disagree with you that they’re not serious.
GREG HUNT:
Well, I would ask, are you saying that we should close down the port of Townsville, the port of Cairns and the port of Gladstone?
MONIQUE WRIGHT:
Okay, we’re running out of time. A leaked draft of the plan initially was heavily criticised for ignoring the effects of climate change. Now this version says it is the most significant threat that the Reef faces. Are people including the Government now waking up to the threat of climate change?
GREG HUNT:
Well, it wasn’t a leaked draft, it was a draft which we released in order to have public consultation. And what we’ve done is add additional material because since then we have passed a world leading climate law. $2.5 billion of funding for reducing emissions.
The first of the auctions for reducing emissions in Australia will occur in the middle of April. We are about to see that Australia is not just on track to meet but to beat our targets. And we’ve also announced $200 million for a Green Climate fund. Of all of the countries in the world, Australia is one of the very few that will have met and beat the first round of Kyoto targets.
And we are one of the only countries in the world that will have met and in all probability beaten the second round of international targets for reducing our domestic emissions. So we’re doing things that very few others are doing.
LARRY EMDUR:
Minister, we’re right out of time, I need your answer in ten seconds or less. What will the Great Barrier Reef look like for my grandchildren?
GREG HUNT:
It should be better than it is today. It’s one of the world’s great and majestic environmental jewels. It would be the first place that you would put on a new world heritage list if no such thing existed. And it will be there, it will be better and your children and your grandchildren will be proud and will have something extraordinary for them.
LARRY EMDUR:
Alright, better than it is today. We’ll take that quote, we’ll put it in the bank. Thanks for talking to us this morning.
GREG HUNT:
Thanks very much.
(ENDS)