❓ Mr. Blayney asks about the Roebuck Bay Marine Park announcement and its impact on conservation and tourism. Minister Jacob highlights the government's investment, joint management with traditional owners, job creation, and the removal of commercial gillnetting, while maintaining recreational fishing.
AnsweredQoN 817Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROEBUCK
BAY MARINE PARK
817. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Environment:
Can the minister please update the house on the Liberal–National
government's recent announcement of the Roebuck Bay Marine Park and
what this means for conservation and tourism in the area?
BAY MARINE PARK
817. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Environment:
Can the minister please update the house on the Liberal–National
government's recent announcement of the Roebuck Bay Marine Park and
what this means for conservation and tourism in the area?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Geraldton for the question. In the
Kimberley just a week or two ago, the Premier had the opportunity, along with
the Yawuru traditional owners in Broome, to announce the creation of the
Roebuck Bay Marine Park. This is one of five marine parks that the Liberal–National
government is creating as part of the Kimberley science and conservation
strategy—a $103 million investment in the Kimberley. This is not only
the largest conservation program ever in the Kimberley, but I suggest the
largest single conservation strategy program the state government has run in
any region of this state. The new Roebuck Bay Marine Park will be jointly
managed with the traditional owners there, the Yawuru people.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That
is enough!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Through the Kimberley science and conservation strategy, we are creating around
200 direct jobs with traditional owners right across the Kimberley. The park
will have not only conservation outcomes, but also Aboriginal employment
outcomes and spin-off tourism opportunities, as I talked about yesterday.
Mr D.J. Kelly : So,
no sanctuary zones?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean!
Mr A.P. JACOB : I will
get to that, member for Bassendean.
This marine park will conserve the biodiversity values of
Roebuck Bay and it will also promote visitation and enjoyment of those values.
We believe that our marine parks and national parks are for the owners of those
parks—both the traditional owners and the people of Western Australia—to
experience and enjoy. This government takes the conservation values of those
parks very seriously and that is why, prior to the creation of the Roebuck Bay
Marine Park, we purchased out the final gillnetting licences within Roebuck
Bay.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is enough.
Mr A.P. JACOB : We purchased out the final
commercial gillnetting licences within Roebuck Bay. This government has removed
commercial fishing —
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I will get to you too, member for
Gosnells.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr A.P. JACOB : This government has removed
commercial fishing within Roebuck Bay Marine Park but we are maintaining —
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order
for the first time. Minister, a quick answer, please.
Mr A.P. JACOB : Thank you, Mr Speaker. We are maintaining
the conservation values of that area, as we are also doing in Ramsar wetland,
which is an area of international importance for migratory birds. We are also
maintaining recreational fishing within Roebuck Bay because it is a key tourism
industry in Broome. Do you know what, Mr Speaker? It is also a key cultural
institution.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr A.P. JACOB : Recreational fishing brings together the
cultures of traditional owners and other Western Australians. That is one of
the reasons why we have kept recreational fishing. Under the Kimberley science
and conservation strategy, marine parks in this state will go from 1.5 million
hectares to five million hectares under the Liberal–National
government.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order
for the second time. Minister, you have 30 seconds.
Mr A.P. JACOB : Marine parks will go from 1.5 million
hectares to five million hectares; that is a 200 per cent increase. On radio
this morning, the Leader of the Opposition said that this government had not
done much in conservation.
Several members
interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : An increase from 1.5 million hectares to
five million hectares—how is that for a result, Mr Speaker? It is a $103
million investment. The Leader of the Opposition said another doozy; he said
that he would ''like to expand our marine parks''. He said that
he would like to do it; we do it. From 2001 to 2008, I saw the Labor Party's
lofty aspirations in action. It aspired to create Roebuck Bay Marine Park for
eight years but it never came even close. We said that we would do it within
three and a half years and you can consider it delivered, Mr Speaker. For eight
years, members opposite said that they would do a biodiversity conservation
bill. We said that we would do it, and three and a half years later it has been
delivered.
Coming back to
Roebuck Bay specifically, in the opposition's latest policy
announcement, the member for Gosnells announced that if Labor wins the
election, it will do a science-based review of marine park management. Let me
inform the house of the good news: I have already written that into the
management plan for members opposite! A five-year review is mandated within the
management plan. Again, we have already written in the lofty aspirations of
members opposite. Thank heavens that the Liberal–National
government is here to deliver biodiversity conservation outcomes for Western Australia
as opposed to the hot air and hollow aspirations of members opposite!
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order
for the first time.
Kimberley just a week or two ago, the Premier had the opportunity, along with
the Yawuru traditional owners in Broome, to announce the creation of the
Roebuck Bay Marine Park. This is one of five marine parks that the Liberal–National
government is creating as part of the Kimberley science and conservation
strategy—a $103 million investment in the Kimberley. This is not only
the largest conservation program ever in the Kimberley, but I suggest the
largest single conservation strategy program the state government has run in
any region of this state. The new Roebuck Bay Marine Park will be jointly
managed with the traditional owners there, the Yawuru people.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : That
is enough!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Through the Kimberley science and conservation strategy, we are creating around
200 direct jobs with traditional owners right across the Kimberley. The park
will have not only conservation outcomes, but also Aboriginal employment
outcomes and spin-off tourism opportunities, as I talked about yesterday.
Mr D.J. Kelly : So,
no sanctuary zones?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Bassendean!
Mr A.P. JACOB : I will
get to that, member for Bassendean.
This marine park will conserve the biodiversity values of
Roebuck Bay and it will also promote visitation and enjoyment of those values.
We believe that our marine parks and national parks are for the owners of those
parks—both the traditional owners and the people of Western Australia—to
experience and enjoy. This government takes the conservation values of those
parks very seriously and that is why, prior to the creation of the Roebuck Bay
Marine Park, we purchased out the final gillnetting licences within Roebuck
Bay.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : That is enough.
Mr A.P. JACOB : We purchased out the final
commercial gillnetting licences within Roebuck Bay. This government has removed
commercial fishing —
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I will get to you too, member for
Gosnells.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr A.P. JACOB : This government has removed
commercial fishing within Roebuck Bay Marine Park but we are maintaining —
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order
for the first time. Minister, a quick answer, please.
Mr A.P. JACOB : Thank you, Mr Speaker. We are maintaining
the conservation values of that area, as we are also doing in Ramsar wetland,
which is an area of international importance for migratory birds. We are also
maintaining recreational fishing within Roebuck Bay because it is a key tourism
industry in Broome. Do you know what, Mr Speaker? It is also a key cultural
institution.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells!
Mr A.P. JACOB : Recreational fishing brings together the
cultures of traditional owners and other Western Australians. That is one of
the reasons why we have kept recreational fishing. Under the Kimberley science
and conservation strategy, marine parks in this state will go from 1.5 million
hectares to five million hectares under the Liberal–National
government.
Mr C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order
for the second time. Minister, you have 30 seconds.
Mr A.P. JACOB : Marine parks will go from 1.5 million
hectares to five million hectares; that is a 200 per cent increase. On radio
this morning, the Leader of the Opposition said that this government had not
done much in conservation.
Several members
interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : An increase from 1.5 million hectares to
five million hectares—how is that for a result, Mr Speaker? It is a $103
million investment. The Leader of the Opposition said another doozy; he said
that he would ''like to expand our marine parks''. He said that
he would like to do it; we do it. From 2001 to 2008, I saw the Labor Party's
lofty aspirations in action. It aspired to create Roebuck Bay Marine Park for
eight years but it never came even close. We said that we would do it within
three and a half years and you can consider it delivered, Mr Speaker. For eight
years, members opposite said that they would do a biodiversity conservation
bill. We said that we would do it, and three and a half years later it has been
delivered.
Coming back to
Roebuck Bay specifically, in the opposition's latest policy
announcement, the member for Gosnells announced that if Labor wins the
election, it will do a science-based review of marine park management. Let me
inform the house of the good news: I have already written that into the
management plan for members opposite! A five-year review is mandated within the
management plan. Again, we have already written in the lofty aspirations of
members opposite. Thank heavens that the Liberal–National
government is here to deliver biodiversity conservation outcomes for Western Australia
as opposed to the hot air and hollow aspirations of members opposite!
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Bassendean, I call you to order
for the first time.
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