Greens and Labor unite against overhaul of sensitive marine zones, but Senate numbers remain in the balance
The protracted battle to prevent the Turnbull government's proposed cuts to marine park protections look set to be lost in the Senate, amid a split in the environment movement over whether to accept the changes.
The Greens have pledged to back Labor to block the cuts, but none of the 11 crossbenchers have committed to supporting them.
The government wants to strip back highest-level protections in a host of sensitive marine areas, including critical waters near the Great Barrier Reef, saying its approach will continue to protect the environment while supporting fishing and tourism.
Environmentalists are incensed at the proposal to reduce highest-level protections in the Coral Sea.
Labor last week vowed to seek a disallowance motion to veto the new regulations.
The Greens last week declined to immediately back the move, saying it wanted to consult the environmentalists.
Greens oceans spokesman Peter Whish-Wilson said on Tuesday the party "will support the disallowance of the Liberals’ woefully inadequate marine reserve protections".
He said there were "differences of opinion" within the environment movement on how to proceed.
"Understandably some would prefer weak protections to no protections at all for the foreseeable future, which is the harsh reality we are facing under the Liberals’ disastrous plan," he said.
However some groups "want to continue to campaign for a better plan".
There are fears the changes to Coral Sea protections will affect the nearby Great Barrier Reef.
Photo: AlamyAustralia’s Commonwealth marine reserves have been suspended since 2014, when the Abbott government began a review of protections that had been legislated, but not implemented, by the former Labor government. Labor created about 40 additional reserves along the Australian coast.
The government’s proposal retains 3.3 million square kilometres of Australia's protected offshore regions but allows commercial fishing and other activities in a range of new areas.
Labor and the Greens would still require the support of four crossbenchers to veto the changes.
Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said his party will oppose the government's proposal.
Three senators - Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm, Australian Conservatives’ Cory Bernardi and independent Fraser Anning – told Fairfax Media they will support the government.
A spokeswoman for Mr Leyonhjelm last week said “there needs to be a balance between protecting the marine environment and protecting people’s livelihoods”.
Three independents - Tim Storer, Steven Martin and Derryn Hinch - were undecided.
Comment has been sought on how the three One Nation senators and the two Nick Xenophon Team senators intend to vote.
Labor has branded the changes “the largest removal of areas from conservation in history”. It says the wind back of Coral Sea protections goes further than that proposed by an independent panel that advised the government on its review.
The government would reduce the area of the Coral Sea - adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef - that is afforded the highest level of “green zone” protection to 24 per cent – down from 50 per cent under Labor’s plan. Mining and fishing is banned in green zones.
Almost 70 per cent of the Coral Sea would be given “yellow zone” protection, which protects the sea floor but allows for some extractive activity, and fishing in the water above the seabed. Conservationists say such protection does not adequately protect biodiversity.
A department spokeswoman said no mining would be allowed in the Coral Sea.
Overall, 80 per cent of Australia’s marine park waters would be opened to commercial fishing, up from 63 per cent.
The government believes the regulation protects important marine habitat, maintains sustainable fishing and promotes ecotourism. It argues the changes are needed to reduce the financial effects on commercial fishers of Labor’s plan, and simplify zoning and boundaries to enable better compliance.
The plan is slated to begin in July this year.