Latest news with #GreenpeaceAustraliaPacific
West Australian
2 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Urgent action needed to start decommissioning industry, warn unions and green groups
Thousands of jobs could be created in WA to handle tens of billions of dollars in work recycling old offshore oil and gas rigs – but only if governments stop dragging their feet and act urgently on a plan to kickstart a decommissioning industry. Unions and environmental groups have united to call for urgent action and get sods turned on a new WA decommissioning hub within the next two years. Otherwise, they warn, Australia will lose out on the lucrative industry to countries such as Brunei and Denmark. Dismantling and recycling the five million tonnes of oil and gas infrastructure off WA's coast has the potential to be a multibillion-dollar industry for the State as projects reach the end of their lifetime. But research from the Centre of Decommissioning Australia — an independent organisation that works with industry and government — found about half of the $61 billion worth of decommissioning work needs to start within the next decade, and three-quarters by 2040. A coalition consisting of Unions WA, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, the Maritime Union of Australia, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, the Electrical Trades Union, the Conservation Council WA and the Wilderness Society says WA cannot wait much longer if it is to benefit from this potential. 'If WA doesn't get its act together, then we risk missing out,' Greenpeace's WA campaign lead Geoff Bice told The West. 'Given the amount of work that needs to be done to get it ready, we'd like to see action on this in this term of government … If it gets pushed out beyond the next election cycle, that's getting into too-late territory.' Resources Minister Madeleine King launched a decommissioning roadmap in December while Premier Roger Cook included the sector as a priority in his Made in WA election plan, which identified Ashburton as the site of a decommissioning hub. Mr Bice said not enough had been done since the launch of these plans and it was time to see actual decisions made. The report launched on Monday anticipates thousands of jobs would be created in building a WA decommissioning hub, and hundreds more for its ongoing operations and maintenance. Already, Australia is missing out on work: the Federal Government sent the Northern Endeavour floating production, storage and offloading vessel to Denmark for decommissioning, while Santos is also expected to dispose of its Ningaloo Vision FPSO overseas. Brunei is opening a new decommissioning facility this year, further increasing competition. AMWU WA secretary Steve McCartney said getting the industry moving domestically would create jobs in Australia and offer opportunities to feed green steel projects, another focus for the Federal government. 'Not only would this help stand up green steel projects in the South West, it would provide long-term and stable onshore demand so we never see another debacle like the Northern Endeavour work being stolen from Australian workers ever again,' he said. Ms King said the Government was 'determined to build a strong decommissioning industry' in Australia to create jobs here as work scaled up in coming years with oil and gas companies obliged to deal with infrastructure at the end of projects. 'This is not an optional requirement. It is the responsibility of industry to remove all infrastructure and rehabilitate the production area,' she said. Australian Energy Producers chief executive Samantha McCulloch said the oil and gas sector would draw on decades of operational expertise and the capabilities of its highly skilled workforce to back safe and efficient decommissioning of its infrastructure.
The Advertiser
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Every month we waste has a cost. The time is now to protect what is uniquely Australian
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause.
The Advertiser
07-06-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Go bold: calls for Australia to lead on ocean health
Conservation groups are urging Australia to back a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a major United Nations oceans conference. More than two dozen countries want a ban, pause or moratorium until more is known about sea floors well below the surface, with concerns the emerging industry could disrupt ecosystems and the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink. Deep-sea mining proponents say demand for critical minerals will ramp up as economies decarbonise. Greenpeace Australia Pacific, World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and the Save Our Marine Life alliance are also pushing the government to ratify the high seas biodiversity agreement by September. Australia was a founding signatory to the agreement in 2023 and the re-elected Albanese government has promised to ratify its commitment "as quickly as possible". The all-important treaty aims to better protect the two-thirds of marine habitat outside state jurisdiction and secure the necessary 60 ratifications will be a key talking point at the UN conference that starts on Monday. Environment Minister Murray Watt will join other policymakers, scientists, First Nations groups and environmental groups at the five-day event in Nice, France, as leader of the cross-government delegation. Australia has positioned itself as a leader in ocean protection, with 52 per cent of domestic waters now within marine park boundaries. But only about a quarter is fully protected from extractive industries, with the conservation alliance pushing Australia to go further and aim for 30 per cent instead. Stepping up on climate action is the final ask, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting record-high sea surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific in 2024. Bleached corals, fish kills and toxic algal blooms have been linked to marine heatwaves and high ocean temperatures around Australia. "Australia's oceans are at a tipping point, facing rising threats from climate change, habitat loss and industrialisation," Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin said. "The Albanese government was elected on promises of progress - now is the time to deliver." On Friday, the federal government promised $30 million for a Traditional Owner-led program to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The aim is to build on First Nations' knowledge to improve the quality of the freshwater flowing into the reef by restoring wetlands and other measures. Conservation groups are urging Australia to back a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a major United Nations oceans conference. More than two dozen countries want a ban, pause or moratorium until more is known about sea floors well below the surface, with concerns the emerging industry could disrupt ecosystems and the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink. Deep-sea mining proponents say demand for critical minerals will ramp up as economies decarbonise. Greenpeace Australia Pacific, World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and the Save Our Marine Life alliance are also pushing the government to ratify the high seas biodiversity agreement by September. Australia was a founding signatory to the agreement in 2023 and the re-elected Albanese government has promised to ratify its commitment "as quickly as possible". The all-important treaty aims to better protect the two-thirds of marine habitat outside state jurisdiction and secure the necessary 60 ratifications will be a key talking point at the UN conference that starts on Monday. Environment Minister Murray Watt will join other policymakers, scientists, First Nations groups and environmental groups at the five-day event in Nice, France, as leader of the cross-government delegation. Australia has positioned itself as a leader in ocean protection, with 52 per cent of domestic waters now within marine park boundaries. But only about a quarter is fully protected from extractive industries, with the conservation alliance pushing Australia to go further and aim for 30 per cent instead. Stepping up on climate action is the final ask, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting record-high sea surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific in 2024. Bleached corals, fish kills and toxic algal blooms have been linked to marine heatwaves and high ocean temperatures around Australia. "Australia's oceans are at a tipping point, facing rising threats from climate change, habitat loss and industrialisation," Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin said. "The Albanese government was elected on promises of progress - now is the time to deliver." On Friday, the federal government promised $30 million for a Traditional Owner-led program to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The aim is to build on First Nations' knowledge to improve the quality of the freshwater flowing into the reef by restoring wetlands and other measures. Conservation groups are urging Australia to back a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a major United Nations oceans conference. More than two dozen countries want a ban, pause or moratorium until more is known about sea floors well below the surface, with concerns the emerging industry could disrupt ecosystems and the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink. Deep-sea mining proponents say demand for critical minerals will ramp up as economies decarbonise. Greenpeace Australia Pacific, World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and the Save Our Marine Life alliance are also pushing the government to ratify the high seas biodiversity agreement by September. Australia was a founding signatory to the agreement in 2023 and the re-elected Albanese government has promised to ratify its commitment "as quickly as possible". The all-important treaty aims to better protect the two-thirds of marine habitat outside state jurisdiction and secure the necessary 60 ratifications will be a key talking point at the UN conference that starts on Monday. Environment Minister Murray Watt will join other policymakers, scientists, First Nations groups and environmental groups at the five-day event in Nice, France, as leader of the cross-government delegation. Australia has positioned itself as a leader in ocean protection, with 52 per cent of domestic waters now within marine park boundaries. But only about a quarter is fully protected from extractive industries, with the conservation alliance pushing Australia to go further and aim for 30 per cent instead. Stepping up on climate action is the final ask, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting record-high sea surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific in 2024. Bleached corals, fish kills and toxic algal blooms have been linked to marine heatwaves and high ocean temperatures around Australia. "Australia's oceans are at a tipping point, facing rising threats from climate change, habitat loss and industrialisation," Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin said. "The Albanese government was elected on promises of progress - now is the time to deliver." On Friday, the federal government promised $30 million for a Traditional Owner-led program to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The aim is to build on First Nations' knowledge to improve the quality of the freshwater flowing into the reef by restoring wetlands and other measures. Conservation groups are urging Australia to back a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a major United Nations oceans conference. More than two dozen countries want a ban, pause or moratorium until more is known about sea floors well below the surface, with concerns the emerging industry could disrupt ecosystems and the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink. Deep-sea mining proponents say demand for critical minerals will ramp up as economies decarbonise. Greenpeace Australia Pacific, World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and the Save Our Marine Life alliance are also pushing the government to ratify the high seas biodiversity agreement by September. Australia was a founding signatory to the agreement in 2023 and the re-elected Albanese government has promised to ratify its commitment "as quickly as possible". The all-important treaty aims to better protect the two-thirds of marine habitat outside state jurisdiction and secure the necessary 60 ratifications will be a key talking point at the UN conference that starts on Monday. Environment Minister Murray Watt will join other policymakers, scientists, First Nations groups and environmental groups at the five-day event in Nice, France, as leader of the cross-government delegation. Australia has positioned itself as a leader in ocean protection, with 52 per cent of domestic waters now within marine park boundaries. But only about a quarter is fully protected from extractive industries, with the conservation alliance pushing Australia to go further and aim for 30 per cent instead. Stepping up on climate action is the final ask, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting record-high sea surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific in 2024. Bleached corals, fish kills and toxic algal blooms have been linked to marine heatwaves and high ocean temperatures around Australia. "Australia's oceans are at a tipping point, facing rising threats from climate change, habitat loss and industrialisation," Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin said. "The Albanese government was elected on promises of progress - now is the time to deliver." On Friday, the federal government promised $30 million for a Traditional Owner-led program to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The aim is to build on First Nations' knowledge to improve the quality of the freshwater flowing into the reef by restoring wetlands and other measures.
West Australian
07-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Go bold: calls for Australia to lead on ocean health
Conservation groups are urging Australia to back a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a major United Nations oceans conference. More than two dozen countries want a ban, pause or moratorium until more is known about sea floors well below the surface, with concerns the emerging industry could disrupt ecosystems and the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink. Deep-sea mining proponents say demand for critical minerals will ramp up as economies decarbonise. Greenpeace Australia Pacific, World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and the Save Our Marine Life alliance are also pushing the government to ratify the high seas biodiversity agreement by September. Australia was a founding signatory to the agreement in 2023 and the re-elected Albanese government has promised to ratify its commitment "as quickly as possible". The all-important treaty aims to better protect the two-thirds of marine habitat outside state jurisdiction and secure the necessary 60 ratifications will be a key talking point at the UN conference that starts on Monday. Environment Minister Murray Watt will join other policymakers, scientists, First Nations groups and environmental groups at the five-day event in Nice, France, as leader of the cross-government delegation. Australia has positioned itself as a leader in ocean protection, with 52 per cent of domestic waters now within marine park boundaries. But only about a quarter is fully protected from extractive industries, with the conservation alliance pushing Australia to go further and aim for 30 per cent instead. Stepping up on climate action is the final ask, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting record-high sea surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific in 2024. Bleached corals, fish kills and toxic algal blooms have been linked to marine heatwaves and high ocean temperatures around Australia. "Australia's oceans are at a tipping point, facing rising threats from climate change, habitat loss and industrialisation," Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin said. "The Albanese government was elected on promises of progress - now is the time to deliver." On Friday, the federal government promised $30 million for a Traditional Owner-led program to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The aim is to build on First Nations' knowledge to improve the quality of the freshwater flowing into the reef by restoring wetlands and other measures.
Perth Now
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Go bold: calls for Australia to lead on ocean health
Conservation groups are urging Australia to back a moratorium on deep-sea mining ahead of a major United Nations oceans conference. More than two dozen countries want a ban, pause or moratorium until more is known about sea floors well below the surface, with concerns the emerging industry could disrupt ecosystems and the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink. Deep-sea mining proponents say demand for critical minerals will ramp up as economies decarbonise. Greenpeace Australia Pacific, World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, the Australian Marine Conservation Society, and the Save Our Marine Life alliance are also pushing the government to ratify the high seas biodiversity agreement by September. Australia was a founding signatory to the agreement in 2023 and the re-elected Albanese government has promised to ratify its commitment "as quickly as possible". The all-important treaty aims to better protect the two-thirds of marine habitat outside state jurisdiction and secure the necessary 60 ratifications will be a key talking point at the UN conference that starts on Monday. Environment Minister Murray Watt will join other policymakers, scientists, First Nations groups and environmental groups at the five-day event in Nice, France, as leader of the cross-government delegation. Australia has positioned itself as a leader in ocean protection, with 52 per cent of domestic waters now within marine park boundaries. But only about a quarter is fully protected from extractive industries, with the conservation alliance pushing Australia to go further and aim for 30 per cent instead. Stepping up on climate action is the final ask, with the World Meteorological Organization reporting record-high sea surface temperatures in the southwest Pacific in 2024. Bleached corals, fish kills and toxic algal blooms have been linked to marine heatwaves and high ocean temperatures around Australia. "Australia's oceans are at a tipping point, facing rising threats from climate change, habitat loss and industrialisation," Australian Marine Conservation Society chief executive Paul Gamblin said. "The Albanese government was elected on promises of progress - now is the time to deliver." On Friday, the federal government promised $30 million for a Traditional Owner-led program to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The aim is to build on First Nations' knowledge to improve the quality of the freshwater flowing into the reef by restoring wetlands and other measures.
