Parliament

The Great Barrier Reef was globally recognised for its outstanding environmental values and unique biodiversity as one of the first places in Australia to be inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 1981.

Larissa's motion:

That the Senate—

   (a)   notes that:

      (i)   a recent Galaxy poll found 88 per cent of Queenslanders oppose offshore dumping of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, and

      (ii)   the Government has approved offshore dumping of over 22 million cubic metres of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area in the past 5 years; and

Senator Larissa Waters speaks to Fran Kelly at ABC Radio National's Breakfast program, about the upcoming Queensland elections, her coal seam gas bill and the allegations made by Clive Palmer.

Transcript-13 Feb Questions for officers from the Dept of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population &  Communities

CHAIR: Senator Waters you have the call.

Senator WATERS: I have some questions about the State of the Environment report. Do I have the appropriate personnel here?

Dr Grimes: This is the appropriate area.

Transcript from 13 Feb Additional Estimates session with SEWPaC

Senator WATERS: My question goes to the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, so I am not sure who is the best person to answer that. One of the targets is that by 2015 we will have a national increase of 600,000 square kilometres of native habitat managed primarily for biodiversity conservation, which is wonderful. How is that progressing? How much of that target have we got to go and how much have we achieved to date?

Transcript from Additonal Estimates session of 13 Feb - SEWPaC on ESD obligations under EPBC& Rio+20

Transcript from 13 Feb where Larissa asks questions of the  Chairman and Chief Executive of GBRMPA about a strategic assessment of the Reef, dredging in Gladstone Harbour & increased shipping

Senator WATERS: Thank you, Chair. Thank you Dr Reichelt. I have a few questions here and I will try to get through as many as I can. I am assuming GBRMPA has been involved in drafting or at least assisting with drafting the terms of reference for that strat assessment?

Dr Reichelt: Yes.

Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Legislation Committee
Answers to questions on notice
Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities portfolio
Additional Budget Estimates, February 2012

Senator Waters asked:
1. Has the Department (or GBRMPA) undertaken or commissioned any assessment of the value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area’s ecosystem services?

Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Legislation Committee
Answers to questions on notice
Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities portfolio
Supplementary Budget Estimates, October 2011