Mr MITCHELL - 1996-08-15
Can the minister outline any plans he may have for the improved management of the vast mangrove forests in the Territory, in particular in Darwin Harbour?
Ms Martin interjecting.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to note some interest from the member for Fannie Bay. The nonsensical chuckle from the member for Arnhem illustrated that he was not really interested.
Honourable members would be aware of the extensive mangrove systems that exist around the Northern Territory's coast. Some members opposite do not seem to venture far beyond their offices, but anyone who has been to the mouth of the Roper River will have seen the wonderful mangrove forests there. There are some marvellous ecosystems on the Tiwi Islands. The mangrove systems in Darwin Harbour could almost be called unique. Darwin Harbour's mangroves comprise about 5% of the Territory's mangrove forests. Next week, the member for Fannie Bay will again misquote what the government is doing. She will do that because she is presently not listening to information that is being given to her. Of the world's 50 species of mangroves, 36 have been found growing in Darwin Harbour. Members will be pleased to hear that detailed mapping of the harbour, to a resolution of 0.25 ha, has been completed by the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment. From this mapping,
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baseline data is being produced giving a detailed description of the existing mangrove community.
Ms Martin: What about the draft plan of management? Where is that?
Mr REED: The member for Fannie Bay has been misquoting the government to the people of the Northern Territory on what she perceives is happening in relation to mangroves. Here she can receive information and valuable details of the current circumstances relating to our mangrove forests. However, she does not listen. That is why she gets so many things wrong. That is why she misleads so many people, including her own constituents. In some circumstances, she does not even tell them what she supports and what she does not support. This government is aware of the importance of mangrove ecosystems to the extent that it has been extending them. We have a planting program for mangroves around the Darwin foreshores which has not only been very successful, but is perhaps unique in Australia. Few governments actually plant mangroves.
Ms Martin: They were replanted in Queensland.
Mr REED: You do not want to listen, do you? Your problem is that you think you are still an ABC journalist, talking to people who cannot talk back. Because you have a microphone in front of you, you think you have to talk all the time. If you want to talk, you must have some facts. I am trying to give you some facts. There are people listening to the broadcast of Question Time who are very keen to hear what the government is doing to protect our mangrove system - not only people who are concerned about the amenity of Darwin Harbour, the natural environment, but also people who go fishing and mud-crabbing there. They do not care what the member for Fannie Bay keeps interjecting about.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Fannie Bay will have opportunities to ask further questions.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, the survey concludes that mangroves in Darwin Harbour are very healthy. In fact, that applies to mangroves right around the Territory coast. Since 1979, contrary to the ill-informed advice that the member for Fannie Bay is issuing, just over 1% of Darwin Harbour's mangroves have been cleared. That is not very much. However, if you listened to the comments from the member for Fannie Bay, you would think that there is barely a mangrove to be seen. From this building, one can see the wonderful mangrove ecosystems that exist around the harbour.
Aerial photographs of Darwin Harbour, taken just after World War II and Cyclone Tracy, will also be used to gather more information in relation to damage that has occurred to mangroves in the past and how they recover. That is important information. In order to prepare a strategy for the management and protection of mangroves in the Territory, the government has committed $60 000 in this budget, through the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, to monitor the health of mangroves in Darwin Harbour and around the coast. The member for Fannie Bay has said that the government has been doing nothing in relation to this ...
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Ms Martin: It has not.
Mr REED: I pick up her interjection, claiming that we have been doing nothing in relation to the protection of Darwin Harbour - not only our mangrove ecosystems, but Darwin Harbour as a whole.
Ms Martin: Show me your documentation.
Mr REED: The lady asks that I show her a document. Here is an advertisement, `Darwin Harbour Beneficial Uses - Have Your Say'. It calls on the people of Darwin to have their say ...
Members interjecting.
Ms Martin: But what have you done?
Mr REED: I will tell you what we have done.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: This advertisement was placed by the Power and Water Authority. In addition to that, the authority wrote to individuals and organisations, inviting them to comment on beneficial uses.
Ms Martin: What rubbish!
Mr REED: Once again, the member criticises public servants for doing their job. It is not rubbish.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: How many responses were there? If this has been done quietly, if nobody has been interested and if public servants have not been doing anything, why were 620 submissions received in response? People are doing things. They are not locking themselves in cupboards, like the member for Fannie Bay and others. They are participating.
Mr Bailey: Are you out of the closet, Mike?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr REED: This will be a very good project that will provide us with very good baseline data on mangrove ecosystems around the coast, and particularly in Darwin Harbour. It will provide us with excellent information on how to manage these systems, and protect the amenity of Darwin Harbour and the beneficial uses that people of the Northern Territory gain from it. Members on this side are much more interested in that than those opposite.
Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, following Question Time yesterday, my office received a number of calls complaining about the standard of members' behaviour during Question Time. I remind members that Question Time is going to air, and a reasonable standard of interjection and general debate during Question Time would be appreciated. That is something of which I think we can all take heed, and should take heed.
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Ms Martin interjecting.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I am pleased to note some interest from the member for Fannie Bay. The nonsensical chuckle from the member for Arnhem illustrated that he was not really interested.
Honourable members would be aware of the extensive mangrove systems that exist around the Northern Territory's coast. Some members opposite do not seem to venture far beyond their offices, but anyone who has been to the mouth of the Roper River will have seen the wonderful mangrove forests there. There are some marvellous ecosystems on the Tiwi Islands. The mangrove systems in Darwin Harbour could almost be called unique. Darwin Harbour's mangroves comprise about 5% of the Territory's mangrove forests. Next week, the member for Fannie Bay will again misquote what the government is doing. She will do that because she is presently not listening to information that is being given to her. Of the world's 50 species of mangroves, 36 have been found growing in Darwin Harbour. Members will be pleased to hear that detailed mapping of the harbour, to a resolution of 0.25 ha, has been completed by the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment. From this mapping,
Page 1487
baseline data is being produced giving a detailed description of the existing mangrove community.
Ms Martin: What about the draft plan of management? Where is that?
Mr REED: The member for Fannie Bay has been misquoting the government to the people of the Northern Territory on what she perceives is happening in relation to mangroves. Here she can receive information and valuable details of the current circumstances relating to our mangrove forests. However, she does not listen. That is why she gets so many things wrong. That is why she misleads so many people, including her own constituents. In some circumstances, she does not even tell them what she supports and what she does not support. This government is aware of the importance of mangrove ecosystems to the extent that it has been extending them. We have a planting program for mangroves around the Darwin foreshores which has not only been very successful, but is perhaps unique in Australia. Few governments actually plant mangroves.
Ms Martin: They were replanted in Queensland.
Mr REED: You do not want to listen, do you? Your problem is that you think you are still an ABC journalist, talking to people who cannot talk back. Because you have a microphone in front of you, you think you have to talk all the time. If you want to talk, you must have some facts. I am trying to give you some facts. There are people listening to the broadcast of Question Time who are very keen to hear what the government is doing to protect our mangrove system - not only people who are concerned about the amenity of Darwin Harbour, the natural environment, but also people who go fishing and mud-crabbing there. They do not care what the member for Fannie Bay keeps interjecting about.
Ms Martin interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member for Fannie Bay will have opportunities to ask further questions.
Mr REED: Mr Speaker, the survey concludes that mangroves in Darwin Harbour are very healthy. In fact, that applies to mangroves right around the Territory coast. Since 1979, contrary to the ill-informed advice that the member for Fannie Bay is issuing, just over 1% of Darwin Harbour's mangroves have been cleared. That is not very much. However, if you listened to the comments from the member for Fannie Bay, you would think that there is barely a mangrove to be seen. From this building, one can see the wonderful mangrove ecosystems that exist around the harbour.
Aerial photographs of Darwin Harbour, taken just after World War II and Cyclone Tracy, will also be used to gather more information in relation to damage that has occurred to mangroves in the past and how they recover. That is important information. In order to prepare a strategy for the management and protection of mangroves in the Territory, the government has committed $60 000 in this budget, through the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, to monitor the health of mangroves in Darwin Harbour and around the coast. The member for Fannie Bay has said that the government has been doing nothing in relation to this ...
Page 1488
Ms Martin: It has not.
Mr REED: I pick up her interjection, claiming that we have been doing nothing in relation to the protection of Darwin Harbour - not only our mangrove ecosystems, but Darwin Harbour as a whole.
Ms Martin: Show me your documentation.
Mr REED: The lady asks that I show her a document. Here is an advertisement, `Darwin Harbour Beneficial Uses - Have Your Say'. It calls on the people of Darwin to have their say ...
Members interjecting.
Ms Martin: But what have you done?
Mr REED: I will tell you what we have done.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: This advertisement was placed by the Power and Water Authority. In addition to that, the authority wrote to individuals and organisations, inviting them to comment on beneficial uses.
Ms Martin: What rubbish!
Mr REED: Once again, the member criticises public servants for doing their job. It is not rubbish.
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr REED: How many responses were there? If this has been done quietly, if nobody has been interested and if public servants have not been doing anything, why were 620 submissions received in response? People are doing things. They are not locking themselves in cupboards, like the member for Fannie Bay and others. They are participating.
Mr Bailey: Are you out of the closet, Mike?
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
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Mr REED: This will be a very good project that will provide us with very good baseline data on mangrove ecosystems around the coast, and particularly in Darwin Harbour. It will provide us with excellent information on how to manage these systems, and protect the amenity of Darwin Harbour and the beneficial uses that people of the Northern Territory gain from it. Members on this side are much more interested in that than those opposite.
Mr SPEAKER: Honourable members, following Question Time yesterday, my office received a number of calls complaining about the standard of members' behaviour during Question Time. I remind members that Question Time is going to air, and a reasonable standard of interjection and general debate during Question Time would be appreciated. That is something of which I think we can all take heed, and should take heed.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016