Sustainable Ports Development Bill 2015

Supported the bill as essentially a copy of the 2014 LNP bill, but criticised the government for not making Cairns a priority port and for removing the review date from the original LNP legislation.

“We will be supporting this bill, as the member for Hinchinbrook said, because it is basically a copy of the 2014 bill that the member for Callide put forward.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Did not oppose the bill but moved an amendment to defer consideration until after the Cairns port EIS was completed. Argued the compromise amendments for Cairns lacked scientific justification and that parliament should not vote without knowing the EIS outcome.

“This parliament should not be asked to consider this bill in full until we know the outcome of the EIS that is currently underway for the port of Cairns.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

Strongly supported the bill as an important milestone in the campaign to save the Great Barrier Reef, delivering on commitments made through the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.

“The Sustainable Ports Development Bill is an important milestone in our campaign to save the Great Barrier Reef. It delivers on commitments we made to the people of Queensland and commitments we made to the world at large through the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Supported the deferral amendment and the philosophy behind the bill, but argued the government's dredging limits for Cairns lacked scientific evidence. Called for waiting until the EIS was complete to give the people of Cairns economic certainty.

“This is a simple and prudent process, an amendment that should be supported, to give the people of Cairns and Far North Queensland some economic hope, to provide some clear guidance as to what the future of the port of Cairns is.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

Strongly supported the bill, emphasising significant differences from the previous LNP version including the legislative prohibition on dumping capital dredge spoil and protection of the Fitzroy Delta, which were key to UNESCO's favourable decision.

“Firstly, there was no legislative prohibition on the dumping of capital dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area. There was no legislative prohibition on capital dredge spoil dumping; let's make that clear.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Opposed the deferral motion as reckless and opportunistic. Argued the bill achieved the necessary balance between reef protection and Cairns port development, and that deferring would put at risk the commitment made to UNESCO to pass legislation before the end of 2015.

“I stand here to oppose this deferral motion because we promised the world that we would act before December 2015 and here I am acting to protect the Great Barrier Reef.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

Supported the bill but argued strongly that the legislative framework was the product of three years of work by the LNP government, including the strategic assessment process and ports strategy, and criticised Labor for taking credit.

“What matters most is that we have in place the framework that is necessary to demonstrate to the world that every Queenslander is protecting the Great Barrier Reef and that we have in place a legislative provision to ensure we can have the development that every Queenslander needs at the same time as we protect the reef.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Strongly opposed the deferral motion as minister for the Great Barrier Reef. Argued passing the bill was essential to honour Queensland's commitment to UNESCO and protect the 69,000 Queenslanders who rely on the reef for their livelihoods.

“I rose to oppose it because we on this side of the House and I as minister for the Great Barrier Reef will do what needs to be done to protect the reef.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

Supported the bill while emphasising the need for flexibility to expand ports to accommodate the growing food and fibre export economy in regional Queensland.

“This bill needs to provide the flexibility to expand. That does not mean to the detriment of the Great Barrier Reef.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Spoke as committee chair supporting the bill. Acknowledged the committee's recommendation for Cairns to be considered as a priority port and commended the minister's compromise amendments allowing limited capital dredging at Cairns.

“I personally believe that we had to do a bit more to help Cairns rather than completely shut the gate on any development opportunities.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

Supported the bill as striking an important balance between sustainable port development and reef protection, detailing ongoing port projects at Townsville, Gladstone and Cairns that would continue under the legislation.

“This is one of the great differences between this government and the opposition and one of the defining issues in terms of the recent election campaign. It is our view that protecting the environment is an essential part of economic development.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Supported the bill as a committee member, focusing on the master planning provisions and the benefits for the port of Gladstone. Highlighted the port's record throughput and the government's investment in port infrastructure.

“I am proud to say that I stand here as the member for Gladstone who helped save that port from being sold.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

Supported the bill as reflecting the Ports Bill introduced by the LNP in November 2014, while questioning the scientific basis for the 50,000 cubic metre dredging limit at Cairns and crediting the LNP government for the strategic assessment and reef protection work.

“This bill, which in many respects reflects the Ports Bill that was introduced by the member for Callide in November 2014, should be supported.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Supported the bill and the Cairns amendments as the local member. Argued the amendments achieve the necessary balance between reef protection and allowing the port to respond to commercially viable development opportunities.

“The key to the port of Cairns is achieving the balance of meeting our needs towards the Great Barrier Reef on the one hand—our lifeline of tourism injection in Cairns—and the need to maintain a port that services Far North Queensland.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

Supported the bill but was compelled to speak against Labor's politicisation of the reef, defending the LNP's environmental record including the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership and best management practice programs.

“No-one—no-one—is interested in destroying the Great Barrier Reef in this state. We need to take the politics out of the Great Barrier Reef and start working together to ensure that the next generations can thoroughly appreciate it as much as we have.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard

Spoke as a committee member, noting the bill was not much different from the LNP's 2014 bill. Disappointed that the government did not follow the committee's unanimous recommendation to consider Cairns as a priority port, and criticised the government's inconsistency on reef protection.

“On one hand members of the Labor Party are very concerned about the reef, but in certain circumstances that all goes completely out the window because it is okay to massively expand one port that is right in the middle of all of that.”— 2015-11-11View Hansard

As minister in reply, defended the bill's purpose of balancing reef protection with economic development, addressed opposition concerns about Cairns dredging volumes, and argued the bill went further than the LNP's 2014 version by banning sea-based disposal of dredge spoil.

“This government is committed to supporting Cairns, its port, the industries that rely on the port and the community of Cairns. We have listened to all those concerned about the future of the port of Cairns and, through the amendments to the bill, we have established a clear direction on how the port of Cairns will be able to take up future development opportunities that will not impact on the reef.”— 2015-11-12View Hansard