E&OE….
Topics: Great Barrier Reef, Renewable Energy Target, Emissions Reduction Fund
STEVE AUSTIN:
Today the Federal Environment Minister is in Brisbane to unveil draft laws to ban the dumping of dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Greg Hunt is the Minister. Good morning to you, welcome to the studio.
GREG HUNT:
Good morning Steve.
STEVE AUSTIN:
You’ve been quoted as saying that there were five major proposals that you inherited from the previous Federal Government to dump dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef, what were they?
GREG HUNT:
So as you work up the coast there were proposals under foot for and underway for Gladstone. You had Hay Point, you had Abbot Point, we had Townsville and potentially the Fitzroy Delta. Those five are all gone now and I am very pleased with that. This has been a process that’s been in place for 100 years and what we’ve managed to do is not just work to end those five dumping proposals but also as of today the draft law will be released – it’s in the form of a regulation, to end forever the disposal of capital dredge spoil within the Marine Park.
So an area of 345,000 square kilometres. It’s ground breaking, it’s significant and it’s been done in conjunction with the Queensland Government, successive Queensland Governments and we’re working quite well, very well, I’ve got to say with the current government.
STEVE AUSTIN:
It’s been a long time coming and after the construction of all of the LNG projects at Gladstone, it’s perhaps too late?
GREG HUNT:
Well I wouldn’t say that. I’d agree that it’s a long time coming. It’s 100 years of practice. Now, we’ve only been in Government a short period of time. I announced in November just a year or so into our term that we would do this. We then had the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority issue a commitment.
We then signed the orders in January and now we’re releasing the draft law today. So this is the fourth step in a process but at the end of the day, 100 years of practice turned around in just over a year, five major proposals which were inherited are now down to zero for dumping, but most importantly, most significantly, at this moment in history we’re taking steps which I don’t think will be reversed in the next 100 years.
STEVE AUSTIN:
What can you tell me about those regulations, exactly what will they say? Don’t give me the legal language, just in plain English if you would please, what will the regulations say?
GREG HUNT:
So they go further than a lot of people expected. What they do is they ban all capital dredge disposal within the Marine Park. Now that means that never again would you have proposals for a Townsville or an Abbot Point, a Gladstone disposal within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area.
STEVE AUSTIN:
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area only takes in a small part of the Great Barrier Reef waters though doesn’t it?
GREG HUNT:
No, not at all.
STEVE AUSTIN:
And this is something that concerns environmentalists that the reef itself is eighth ‘wonder of the orld’ is much larger than the bureaucratic boundaries.
GREG HUNT:
No that’s completely wrong with respect. The marine park area is 345,000 square kilometres. The World Heritage area is 348,000 square kilometres. So under Federal law we are able to deal with 99% of the area. The last 1%, the Queensland Government has said it will deal with, and so 100% of the World Heritage area will be dealt with. This has been I have to say…
STEVE AUSTIN:
So nowhere on the Barrier Reef – irrespective of where the line is nowhere on the Barrier Reef will you be able to dump dredge spoil?
GREG HUNT:
Well within the Marine Park area which is 99% of the area there will be a complete Federal ban. The State Government which has responsibility for the remaining 1% – ports – has also committed to putting in place that ban and I actually have complete faith and confidence that they will do that. So this will cover 100% of the World Heritage area.
But one of the myths that has been presented by some of the hard left groups is that the Marine Park is only a small part. It’s 99% of the area. All of that will be covered by the Federal law, the remaining 1% of the area will be covered by State law. So in the end 100% of the World Heritage Area will have a complete and permanent ban on capital dredge disposal and today we’re putting in place that law for the Marine Park and that deals with past, present and future applications. It’s a complete ban.
STEVE AUSTIN:
What will this mean for the Abbot Point coal terminal which is being expanded. This is – it’s become the touchstone issue really for this issue here in Queensland. What’s going to happen from today with it?
GREG HUNT:
So the point here is that any previous proposal for dumping at sea would be null and void. To be fair both Queensland and the company under successive Queensland Governments has said it should be moved onshore. I have quietly worked to that end for over a year.
Last week the new Queensland Government said that they would be putting in a referral under the Federal Environment Act to have the Abbot Point disposal put on what’s known as Terminal Two, so entirely port-related land. I’ll obviously have to assess that if and when they put it in and assess it on the merits, but I am very pleased that the goal I had set over a year ago of quietly working to have the Abbot Point disposal moved from the marine area to on-land and preferably within the terminal area has now been agreed by all parties as the right way forward.
STEVE AUSTIN:
My guest is the Federal Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt. This is 612 ABC Brisbane, Steve Austin’s my name. Have you met the new State Environment Minister yet?
GREG HUNT:
Look I have had a number of phone calls. We’ve looked to try to be in the same place and we are hopeful of catching up within the next week, but we’ve had a series of phone calls, I left a message for him last night, we’ve spoken and in my dealings with Steven Miles I’ve got to say so far it’s been very cooperative. I had also spoken with his predecessor as shadow and your now Deputy Premier, Jackie Trad.
As a Federal Government people expect us and want us to work cooperatively with the States wherever possible and that’s the way we’ve approached working on the Reef. I am passionate deeply, absolutely about this. I’m a dad and I want my children to be able to come and their children and children, you know, and grand – well, descendants over numerous generations and I think we can do that.
STEVE AUSTIN:
That’s what Barack Obama’s like. He said that when he came here last year.
GREG HUNT:
Well look I have no problem with that. Let me say that. It’s about making sure that on our watch we do things and that will echo through the generations. And let me say this. We have made changes in the last year which have not occurred in the last 100.
We’ve seen dramatic water quality improvements but with a lot more to go in terms of reduced sediments, reduced nitrogen, reduced pesticides. We’ve put in place a reef trust and we’re acting on Crown of Thorns, so these are really significant achievements with more to come.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Initially you will recall that there was an argument that there would be no problem dumping this dredge spoil in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park waters for Abbot Point because it was sandy loam and GBRMPA had done a report and they thought they could live with it, but that position now looks ridiculous doesn’t it?
GREG HUNT:
Well we can only ever deal with what the Queensland Government of the day has put forward. None of these had been…
STEVE AUSTIN:
The previous government put that forward and it looks ridiculous.
GREG HUNT:
…Commonwealth proposals. What I can say is just quietly, passionately behind the scenes, I have worked and we have worked to bring these proposals onshore.
You know, to have inherited five proposals from the previous Federal Government, from the previous Labor Government and brought them down to zero, is what we’ve done, to have this proposal for Abbot Point brought onshore and now within the terminal area is, to my mind, a very good outcome. It still has to be assessed, it still has to actually be submitted but I am very comfortable with the direction and indeed that is what I have worked towards just unrelentingly.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Let me rephrase my question then, the proposal that was put up by the previous State Government that looks like it was wrong, the idea that dumping in the Barrier Reef, everyone now is running a mile from that. It looks like it was wrong, do you agree?
GREG HUNT:
Well, let me put it this way, in return, we have what, in my view, is a vastly preferred outcome now and it’s not just…
STEVE AUSTIN:
Is that a yes?
GREG HUNT:
…it’s not just that one proposal, it’s not just five, it’s a permanent ban on our watch in our time which I don’t think will ever be reversed and I think for Queenslanders, that’s a good outcome. The biggest issue, of course, still remains – water quality.
That’s where we have to continue the work of reducing sediment and nitrogen and pesticides and we’ve just done a major round for nitrogen reduction which reduces the environment in which the Crown of Thorns can breed.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Alright. Now, the – UNESCO, when do they make their next decision on whether to list the Barrier Reef as endangered? That can’t be far away, so this year?
GREG HUNT:
So, they put out a draft decision near the end of May and they put out – they have a final conference at the end of June in Bonn in Germany. Now, I am obviously planning on being there. I have just returned from a three day trip through Japan, Korea and India last week.
It’s literally visiting each of the capitals of countries that are part of the World Heritage Committee to talk about climate issues, to talk about environment issues but in particular to talk about what we have done and they have been astonished at the achievements in relation to the Reef and meeting the concerns of the World Heritage Committee and indeed, you know, the response in all of those countries has been very positive, so much so – and I can say this now for the first time that India has proposed an environmental cooperation agreement with Australia because they want to take our expertise and our skills in clean water and clean air.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Are they still going to financially back the Adani project?
GREG HUNT:
Look, it’s entirely…
STEVE AUSTIN:
If they’re that worried about environmental concerns, are they going to back, financially, the project?
GREG HUNT:
It’s entirely up to the proponents to find their own financing and I’ve just – will let them speak for where they’ll find their own financing.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Alright. So UNESCO makes a decision to list or not list the Great Barrier Reef as endangered in June of this year and you will be there for that meeting in Bonn?
GREG HUNT:
Correct and indeed I have invited the Queensland Government and all the indications are that they will be present at ministerial level. I, again, will let them speak for themselves. But this is a good example of governments working in cooperation, irrespective of the party lines, and I have to say I am increasingly confident that the world has seen what we have done and indeed they are looking at the way Australia has responded as a model of identifying a challenge, setting out a long term plan to 2050 and then backing it with practical action such as the dredge ban, the Crown of Thorns and the nutrient and nitrogen reduction.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Federal Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt is my guest. It’s five to nine. Steve Austin’s my name, this is 612 ABC Brisbane.
The Federal Government has been reviewing the Renewable Energy Target since February last year. When are you going to provide certainty for investors in renewable energy projects and actually finalise a decision?
GREG HUNT:
Well, of course, we inherited a review process under law from the ALP. They put it in law, we had to do it. The Renewable Energy Target set a large figure which had to be built. The Climate Change Authority found that that is not likely to be built by 2020.
That simply the investment hadn’t been occurring to do that and if that isn’t met then people would end up with an effective penalty of a $93 per tonne carbon tax equivalent, almost four times the level of the carbon tax. So, clearly that’s not acceptable to anybody. We are ready…
STEVE AUSTIN:
There’s some debate about that figure but anyhow, we’ll keep going.
GREG HUNT:
Not really, no. We have been negotiating with the ALP because any change has to go through the Senate. I think we are now very close, for the first time we’re seeing real signs of movement from the ALP, the unions, the Clean Energy Council, manufacturing, they’re all saying to Bill Shorten and the ALP, the Government has put a very reasonable offer on the table, sit down with them, let’s get it done.
I am very happy to work with the ALP. I think we can do this. I would like to get this resolved within the next fortnight before Easter so as we can have certainty with the sector but no matter what, we’ll keep going until we get an agreement.
STEVE AUSTIN:
So within two weeks?
GREG HUNT:
Well, I won’t make a prediction. I can say I would like us to reach an agreement to give the certainty to the sector within that time. It’s up to the ALP.
We have met with them on many occasions, they went on strike for nearly three months but we’ve seen a response from unions, business and the clean energy sector all saying to the ALP – and I understand through the papers that they’re meeting with them today – you must sit down and strike an agreement because the Government has a very reasonable approach on the table.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Do you concede that this has been hindering investment in solar projects here in Queensland and Australia, the lack of certainty about the Renewable Energy Target?
GREG HUNT:
Well, what we’re seeing is that renewable energy continues to grow but we can give more certainty. We have been seeking a deal…
STEVE AUSTIN:
I’ve interviewed numerous companies that say that the uncertainty has stopped investment and shut projects down.
GREG HUNT:
Well, this review, of course, was mandated by law that was set in place by the previous Government. So we are the ones seeking, searching, looking for an outcome and an agreement and what I want is two things; the ability to almost double renewable energy that’s installed as opposed – over the next five years compared with what’s been there for 15, but also to ensure that we are not putting additional electricity price pressure on households and small businesses and that’s a reasonable balance.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Alright. The first Emissions Reduction Fund auction opens in four weeks from now on 15 April. What does that do?
GREG HUNT:
So, the Emissions Reduction Fund reduces Australia’s emissions by buying emissions reduction. For example, we would help clean up a power station, encourage energy efficiency across 100,000 homes, support reforestation, support on-farm activities that might reduce emissions in terms of reductions in methane.
Practical actions across the country and we’ll do this on a – through a competitive auction. The expectations were reasonable, the current evidence is that we may well be on track for well in excess of what we had anticipated. So, at this stage I feel very confident. I will wait and see the outcome of the auction. It’s been done by the Clean Energy Regulator but instead of a carbon tax and a massive hike in electricity prices, this is laser surgery, directly targeting emissions reductions…
STEVE AUSTIN:
And private industries can bid for this fund-money to clean up their act?
GREG HUNT:
Correct, that’s exactly what they can do…
STEVE AUSTIN:
Four weeks from now we’ll know what the auction results were?
GREG HUNT:
Correct but we’ll know – the auction will be in four weeks, we’ll know within about five.
STEVE AUSTIN:
Minister thanks for coming in.
GREG HUNT:
It’s a pleasure.
(ENDS)