North Queensland politicians are calling on northern leaders to unite to fight what they see as the federal government's agenda to shut down rural industries, particularly the fishing industry.
The call was made by Katter's Australian Party representatives, who shared a leaked letter from federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek addressed to UNESCO's Director-General.
In it, she sets out further measures the government will undertake "to secure the future of the Reef".
"These measures include substantial fisheries reforms; accelerated action to improve water quality; and strong, legislated climate action," the letter reads. "We have worked closely with the World Heritage Centre to ensure these actions meet your expectations and address the recommendations of the Mission report."
KAP's Robbie Katter, Nick Dametto and Shane Knuth say Australians should be outraged to learn that Labor had "compromised national sovereignty and shamelessly handed over its political autonomy to a global authority".
"Political heads need to roll over these decisions, which have been deliberately concealed from the people it will actually affect," a letter from the three MPs says.
"Political preferences aside, this demise of local industry cannot stand and we implore all of North and Far North Queensland's leaders to unite and fight back against Canberra's agenda to shut down our industries and communities."
In June, fishermen on Queensland's east coast, were hit with the news of a federal ban, supported by the state government, of long-standing forms of gillnet fishing in northern waters, which they say was done to appease UNESCO in advance of its decision on whether to declare the Great Barrier Reef as in danger.
That was followed with similar news for Gulf waters in September.
Herbert MP Phillip Thompson said the LNP had put forward several recommendations, including the immediate commencement of community consultation.
"But Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek and her state colleague, Fisheries Minister Mark Furner, have forged ahead with their destructive plans," he said.
"The Future Fishing Taskforce has finished its deliberations and is finalising its recommendations to the state government.
"I look forward to the release of this report and will be holding both the federal and state governments to account to deliver the best outcomes for our fishers."
Mr Thompson said the LNP had moved a motion in federal parliament last week for a formal inquiry into the adoption of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee policy directives.
"This was, of course, blocked by the Labor government and their Greens mates," he said.
"The battle has not been won and appears far from over.
"We will continue to urge the both the federal and state governments to meet with our commercial fishers and produce a more effective solution that does not compromise the prosperity of our fishing industry."
The KAP message was that "loud and deafening voices can create significant change".
"This (Albanese government) blueprint should be shared and discussed at every possible opportunity," the letter stated.
In the area of fisheries, Ms Plibersek's letter commits Australia to delivering a $100m fisheries adjustment structural package to "significantly reduce net fishing and other high risk fishing activities impacting the Reef".
It said the package would "phase out all destructive gillnet fisheries to ensure the property as a whole will be gill-net free by 30 June 2027".
Going on, it will establish a complete net-free zone in the northern third of the property (Cape Bedford to tip of Cape York) and establish additional net-free zones that expand net restrictions in the Gulf of Carpentaria (eg Mornington Island, rivers/foreshores adjacent to Weipa, Karumba and Mapoon), to further strengthen protections for threatened species that move between the Great Barrier Reef and the Gulf, and "ensure displaced fishing effort does not intensify threats to those species, as well as in other high value habitats of protected species identified through consultation, by 31 December, 2023".
Also by the end of December, the federal government has committed to complete its implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy, including finalising all harvest strategies with defined quotas for all key species, and to introduce legislation to mandate the use of Independent Data Validation on all commercial fishing vessels.
It will immediately make hammerhead sharks 'no take' for commercial fishers.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
