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COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Official Committee Hansard SENATE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS REFERENCES COMMITTEE Reference: Australia’s national parks, conservation reserves and marine protected areas FRIDAY, 21 APRIL 2006 BRISBANE BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE INTERNET The Proof and Official Hansard transcripts of Senate committee hear- ings, some House of Representatives committee hearings and some joint committee hearings are available on the Internet. Some House of Representatives committees and some joint committees make avail- able only Official Hansard transcripts. The Internet address is: http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard To search the parliamentary database, go to: http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au SENATE ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS REFERENCES COMMITTEE Friday, 21 April 2006 Members: Senator Bartlett (Chair), Senator Adams (Deputy Chair), Senators Lundy, Marshall, Ronaldson and Wortley Participating members: Senators Abetz, Allison, Boswell, Bob Brown, George Campbell, Carr, Chapman, Colbeck, Conroy, Coonan, Crossin, Eggleston, Chris Evans, Faulkner, Ferguson, Ferris, Fielding, Forshaw, Humphries, Joyce, Ludwig, Ian Macdonald, Marshall, Mason, McGauran, Milne, Moore, Nettle, O’Brien, Payne, Robert Ray, Siewert, Stephens, Watson and Webber Senators in attendance: Senators Bartlett, Moore, Ronaldson and Siewert Terms of reference for the inquiry: To inquire into and report on: The funding and resources available to meet the objectives of Australia’s national parks, other conservation reserves and marine protected areas, with particular reference to: a. the values and objectives of Australia’s national parks, other conservation reserves and marine protected areas; b. whether governments are providing sufficient resources to meet those objectives and their management requirements; c. any threats to the objectives and management of our national parks, other conservation reserves and marine protected areas; d. the responsibilities of governments with regard to the creation and management of national parks, other conservation reserves and marine protected areas, with particular reference to long-term plans; and e. the record of governments with regard to the creation and management of national parks, other conservation reserves and marine protected areas. WITNESSES ALLINGHAM, Mr Tony, Chair, Environment Portfolio, AgForce Queensland....................................... 88 BOYLE, The Hon. Desley, Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women, Queensland Government ................................................................................................................................... 1 BRISTOW, Mr John, President, National Parks Association of Queensland ............................................ 26 BUCKLEY, Professor Ralf Christopher, Professor of Ecotourism, Griffith University........................... 69 DE HAYR, Mr Brett, Chief Executive Officer, AgForce Queensland ........................................................ 88 ELLIS, Mr Tim, Manager, Tenure Actions Group, Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Government................................................. 1 FEELY, Mr Alan, Executive Director, Parks Division, Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Government................................................. 1 GSCHWIND, Mr Daniel, Chief Executive, Queensland Tourism Industry Council................................. 57 HARRISON, Mr John Charles, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Recreational and Sport Fishing Industry Confederation T/A Recfish Australia................................................................................ 48 HEAD, Mr Damien Paul, Member, Australian Workers Union ............................................................... 112 LECK, Mr Richard Alexander, National Marine and Coastal Policy Officer, WWF Australia.............. 37 MOODY, Ms Ann-Maree, Business Manager, Parks Division, Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Government................................................. 1 PAHL, Mr Stephen Gerard, Chief Executive Officer, Ecotourism Australia ............................................ 57 PETRIE, Mr Malcolm, Natural Resource Management Project Coordinator, Local Government Association of Queensland............................................................................................................................... 79 SIMPSON, Mr Christopher Francis, Industrial Advocate, Australian Workers Union......................... 112 SINCLAIR, Mr John, Honorary Project Officer, Fraser Island Defenders Organisation...................... 103 Friday, 21 April 2006 Senate—References ECITA 1 Committee met at 8.44 am BOYLE, The Hon. Desley, Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women, Queensland Government ELLIS, Mr Tim, Manager, Tenure Actions Group, Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Government FEELY, Mr Alan, Executive Director, Parks Division, Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Government MOODY, Ms Ann-Maree, Business Manager, Parks Division, Environmental Protection Agency/Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Government CHAIR (Senator Bartlett)—Welcome. I formally declare open this hearing of the Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee in relation to its inquiry into the funding and resources available to meet the objectives of Australia’s national parks, conservation reserves and marine protected areas. I particularly welcome the state Minister for Environment, Local Government, Planning and Women. Thank you for making the time to come here today. I also welcome the other representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency. This is the second public hearing of the committee’s inquiry, which is due to report to the Senate on 30 November. All proceedings today are public proceedings but, if the committee agrees to a request to have evidence heard in camera or determines that certain evidence should be heard in camera, witnesses are formally advised that evidence to the committee is protected by parliamentary privilege. I am sure you are aware of what parliamentary privilege is about, but for others listening any act by any person which operates to the disadvantage of a witness on account of evidence given before the committee is unlawful and may be treated by the Senate as a contempt. The giving of false or misleading evidence to the committee may also by treated by the Senate as a contempt. If a witness objects to answering a question, they can state the grounds upon which the objection is made and the committee will consider how it wishes to respond with regard to that. If anyone wants to give evidence or answers to questions in camera, they can make that request and the committee will give consideration to that matter. I take this opportunity to put on the record the committee’s thanks for the assistance received yesterday on our trip and the examination of a small part of the wonderful World Heritage location of Fraser Island. Minister, do you wish to make any opening remarks to the committee? Ms Boyle—I am pleased to be here. Thank you for your welcome but, more than that, I thank you all for coming to Queensland so early in the inquiry. We really appreciate that your effort is not going to be one of sitting in a boardroom in one of the metropolitan areas of the great south- east of Australia and that you are coming out to have a look at the parks. The other particularly good news to me about your committee and your work is that the terms of reference are nice and wide and that, as I understand it, this is not a committee that has a particular agenda but rather is simply keen to discover the world of national parks—at least, Australian national parks—and how we may be potentially able to do better. ENVIRONMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND THE ARTS ECITA 2 Senate—References Friday, 21 April 2006 I will start by providing some context and then I will make a couple of political remarks—not with a capital ‘p’ but in terms of where the Queensland government’s pressures, expectations and difficulties are at the moment so far as parks are concerned. You may be aware that parliament is sitting today and so, with your permission, I will take my leave after my presentation and any questions you would like to ask me and leave you in the good hands of Alan Feely. We are pretty proud of our parks’ service, I have to tell you. There has been a massive increase in the numbers of rangers, and they are indeed an eminent crew in terms of their expertise and their diverse range of skills, their numbers and the amazing environment in which they work. I dare say you all know how huge Queensland is and how diverse a state it is. Climatically and geographically we have amazing areas—from the Simpson Desert to the Great Barrier Reef, from Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait islands right through to Springbrook and the CERRA World Heritage area. That is a wonder but it is also one of our difficulties. We have such an area to service and so much to do within the context of such diversity. All of you would surely be well aware of Queensland’s tremendous figures in terms of tourism—Australian tourism as well as international tourism. There is no doubt at all that in Queensland