❓ A parliamentary question regarding the Liberal-National government's marine parks program, highlighting its benefits to the environment, tourism, and recreation. The Minister details progress and economic benefits, facing interjections regarding 'no-take' zones.
AnsweredQoN 727Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MARINE PARKS PROGRAM
727. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Environment:
Before asking my question this
afternoon, I welcome the students from St Mary's Anglican Girls'
School who are in the public gallery today. I extend a heartfelt welcome to
them on behalf of the member for Scarborough, who cannot be here.
Could the minister please update the
house on the Liberal–National government's marine parks program
and the significant benefits it provides to the environment, tourism and
recreation?
727. Mr J. NORBERGER to the Minister for
Environment:
Before asking my question this
afternoon, I welcome the students from St Mary's Anglican Girls'
School who are in the public gallery today. I extend a heartfelt welcome to
them on behalf of the member for Scarborough, who cannot be here.
Could the minister please update the
house on the Liberal–National government's marine parks program
and the significant benefits it provides to the environment, tourism and
recreation?
AnswerView source ↗
In coming into government in 2008,
this Liberal–National government set out a very ambitious agenda in
creating new marine parks around this state. Four new marine parks have been
established since 2008.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire : How big are the no-take areas?
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Walpole and Nornalup Inlets, and Ngari Capes Marine Parks have
been established in the south west. Two marine parks have also been established
up in the Kimberley, being —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, if you want to ask a question on no-take areas,
put your name down. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I will give the member for Gosnells a bit of an education about
the Kimberley science and conservation strategy while I am at it. There is no
such thing as a no-take area under a marine park.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I want the minister to answer the question as quickly and as
succinctly as possible, and through the Chair.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Eighty Mile Beach and Camden Sound Marine Parks have already
been established under this government's Kimberley science and
conservation strategy. To put that strategy into perspective, that is an $81.5 million
investment from this government into environmental initiatives in the Kimberley
region. It is an unprecedented commitment to environmental protection in this
state, particularly in that wilderness area of the Kimberley. Beyond the two we
have already created, another three marine parks will be created at Roebuck Bay
and Horizontal Falls, and the north Kimberley marine park will extend right
across the northern part of this state—all the way along, indeed, to
the Northern Territory border. That will be a total of five under the Kimberley
science and conservation strategy.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : If I had more time, I would take the member for Gosnells
through the different levels of zoning that we apply to the marine parks and
why his interjections are wrong.
I will continue with what we are
doing with the Kimberley science and conservation strategy. When we came into
government, there was a total —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order now for the third time.
If you want to ask a question about no-take areas, put your name down.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
When we came into government, there was a total of 1.5 million hectares of
marine park and reserves in our oceans in this state; indeed, by the end of
this term, as we roll out our Kimberley science and conservation strategy, we
aim to have more than five million hectares under marine parks—a more
than 200 per cent increase through the Kimberley science and conservation
strategy! Significantly, not only will there a 200 per cent increase in the
marine conservation estate within Western Australia, but also these parks are
being jointly managed with local traditional owners, particularly in the
Kimberley, providing significant opportunities for training and for employment
on country for Aboriginal people. Marine parks provide a variety of
environmental, economic and social benefits. Far from sterilising these areas,
the Liberal–National government sees marine parks as a responsible way
of activating these remote wilderness areas. Indeed, marine reserves support
tourism and recreation, and they generate local and regional income and
business opportunities. They even provide some fisheries benefits, as can be
seen in the state's oldest marine park—Marmion—where
fishing clubs thrive up and down its length, but it also has a very good name
on conservation issues. I will use another very good example of a marine park
in this state. In Ningaloo Marine Park, the whale shark industry alone brings
more than $12 million of revenue into the Western Australian economy every
year. This one is very significant: planning and investigations are well
advanced for the proposed Horizontal Falls marine park; stakeholder
consultation and preliminary design are progressing well. An indicative
management plan has already been developed for Horizontal Falls marine park,
and we hope to release it in 2015. I look forward to updating the house as we
continue to roll out new marine parks in this state.
this Liberal–National government set out a very ambitious agenda in
creating new marine parks around this state. Four new marine parks have been
established since 2008.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire : How big are the no-take areas?
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Walpole and Nornalup Inlets, and Ngari Capes Marine Parks have
been established in the south west. Two marine parks have also been established
up in the Kimberley, being —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, if you want to ask a question on no-take areas,
put your name down. I call you to order for the first time.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : I will give the member for Gosnells a bit of an education about
the Kimberley science and conservation strategy while I am at it. There is no
such thing as a no-take area under a marine park.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : I want the minister to answer the question as quickly and as
succinctly as possible, and through the Chair.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Eighty Mile Beach and Camden Sound Marine Parks have already
been established under this government's Kimberley science and
conservation strategy. To put that strategy into perspective, that is an $81.5 million
investment from this government into environmental initiatives in the Kimberley
region. It is an unprecedented commitment to environmental protection in this
state, particularly in that wilderness area of the Kimberley. Beyond the two we
have already created, another three marine parks will be created at Roebuck Bay
and Horizontal Falls, and the north Kimberley marine park will extend right
across the northern part of this state—all the way along, indeed, to
the Northern Territory border. That will be a total of five under the Kimberley
science and conservation strategy.
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : If I had more time, I would take the member for Gosnells
through the different levels of zoning that we apply to the marine parks and
why his interjections are wrong.
I will continue with what we are
doing with the Kimberley science and conservation strategy. When we came into
government, there was a total —
Mr
C.J. Tallentire interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I call you to order now for the third time.
If you want to ask a question about no-take areas, put your name down.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
When we came into government, there was a total of 1.5 million hectares of
marine park and reserves in our oceans in this state; indeed, by the end of
this term, as we roll out our Kimberley science and conservation strategy, we
aim to have more than five million hectares under marine parks—a more
than 200 per cent increase through the Kimberley science and conservation
strategy! Significantly, not only will there a 200 per cent increase in the
marine conservation estate within Western Australia, but also these parks are
being jointly managed with local traditional owners, particularly in the
Kimberley, providing significant opportunities for training and for employment
on country for Aboriginal people. Marine parks provide a variety of
environmental, economic and social benefits. Far from sterilising these areas,
the Liberal–National government sees marine parks as a responsible way
of activating these remote wilderness areas. Indeed, marine reserves support
tourism and recreation, and they generate local and regional income and
business opportunities. They even provide some fisheries benefits, as can be
seen in the state's oldest marine park—Marmion—where
fishing clubs thrive up and down its length, but it also has a very good name
on conservation issues. I will use another very good example of a marine park
in this state. In Ningaloo Marine Park, the whale shark industry alone brings
more than $12 million of revenue into the Western Australian economy every
year. This one is very significant: planning and investigations are well
advanced for the proposed Horizontal Falls marine park; stakeholder
consultation and preliminary design are progressing well. An indicative
management plan has already been developed for Horizontal Falls marine park,
and we hope to release it in 2015. I look forward to updating the house as we
continue to roll out new marine parks in this state.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.