Prime Minister, Minister for the Environment
PRIME MINISTER: Welcome to the Shire, everybody. It’s nice for once to be welcoming you all to my home, my electorate, and particularly welcoming Sussan Ley as the Minister for the Environment, in particular, here to the Shire, to the electorate of Cook. I’m here today because last night, I joined with leaders of nations from around the world and I thank President Biden again for his initiative in bringing us all together to focus on the significant challenges that we have ahead as the world moves towards net zero and carbon and that is where we’ll be making our contributions and the role we’ll all be playing along that process. I mean, that is where the world is going and Australia is going there also. There are many opportunities that are there for Australia, particularly as I said last night, and when it comes to the hydrogen valleys we can be developing all across the country and with the measures that I announced earlier this week with Minister Taylor. These technological opportunities, even here in my local electorate today, I was visiting with one of my local manufacturers and sheet metal workers. They are also now investing in how they can be bringing hydrogen power into their own businesses. So this is the fuel of the future and Australia is very well placed.
Last night I made a pretty important point and that is that the world won't thank us for the promises we make, the future will not thank us for the promises that are made. The future will thank us for the delivery of our key commitments, it will thank us for the work we actually do, for what we actually get done. And on that front, Australia is very proud of what we are achieving. Our emissions have fallen by 19 per cent since 2005. Many countries making commitments last night can't speak of that performance and can't speak of having met and beating their Kyoto targets and on track to beat our Paris targets, investing some $20$nbsp;billion over the next decade, leveraging around $80$nbsp;billion of investment in the technologies that will make our future one where we can engage with the new economy of the world. So staying on that front foot, we are no stranger to these things, we are no stranger to the commitments, we are no stranger to the achievement of those commitments which ultimately is what matters at the end of the day. Australia, we have our plan. We are working to our plan in Australia's national interest. We have unique challenges here in Australia with the structure and size and complexion of our economy as well as the amazing habitats, whether they be in sort of the ocean environments and coastal environments where we are today, or those in the desert country right across the far reaches of our continent. We are dealing with those and we are addressing those and we are doing it in a way that the rest of the world does take interest in and learn from with our great scientists, but I've also got to say our great industrialists. It is the industrialists and pioneers and the entrepreneurs that will be making the way forward with new technologies. We will reach our commitments through technology. We won't be doing it by taxing our industries and jobs out of our country. We believe that we can continue the transition path that we are on, not just keep the jobs but add to those jobs, whether it is here in southern Sydney or up in the Pilbara or up in Gladstone or down at Devonport, or wherever you might be around the country.
Of the many commitments that we’ve already made in this area, last night I alluded to another and that is the $100 million additional that we will be investing in our oceans policy that will be particularly addressing the challenges of blue carbon. Here across the great blue Pacific as it is known amongst the Pacific family, we have great opportunities through the works we are doing in our ocean environment, to make significant progress when it comes to managing emissions. I don't know if you know, but Edith Cowan, a recent paper research has found that Australian seagrass, mangrove and salt marshes absorbed 20 million tons of carbon dioxide each year which remains locked up in their soils for millennia. Now, that is about the same as the annual emissions of more than 4 million vehicles. Damage to these ecosystems is causing some 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide to be released back into the atmosphere each year and a result of many different things, including impact of weather, climate change and human development. And to conserve and foster high impact investment in this vital resource, we need to measure its impact. So the initiatives we are announcing here today which Sussan will take you through specifically are all about how we manage these amazing wetland areas, our coastal environments. Australia is the island continent and how we manage our ocean environment, particularly on our coasts, these mangrove environments are often referred to the lungs of the ocean. Some might even call them the liver of the ocean in the cleansing impact they have in our oceans environment. And so Australia is leading the world in this and countries in the Pacific and South East Asia are turning to Australia for the science and research and ability to manage these incredibly sensitive environments. But they are a big part of the answer. Everything we do here ensures that we not only create jobs and those projects, but ensures we are able to save jobs in many other parts of the country in our regional areas as we continue to challenge and go down the path that we are on towards a net zero economy.
With that, I will hand you over to Sussan.
THE HON. SUSSAN LEY MP, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Thank you very much, Prime Minister, and it is terrific to work with you as a Prime Minister who understands the oceans. The significance of our coastline, not just nationally but internationally. Today's $100 million package continues your leadership set last year, particularly around plastics in the ocean. But there it is more that we are doing, continuing with that work today. And as President Biden said, oceans equals climate and climate equals oceans. The oceans are critical to the fight against climate change. And here in your part of the Sutherland Shire and thank you, Gloria, civil engineer, project manager who has just taken us up and down this restored area, we can write this large around Australia’s coastline. In fact, we are already starting to do that. But this package will allow us to demonstrate further that having the second biggest network of marine parks in the world but I would argue the best managed marine parks, we can improve on that. We can showcase that management when it comes to sustainable fisheries and conservation. We can work on blue carbon solutions. And while blue carbon has become something of a buzzword, it is critically important, as I said in the fight against climate change.
So if you consider the oyster reefs that were once all along our coastlines, between them and the seagrass, the mangrove and the salt marsh, you have one interconnected ecosystem that stores four times as much carbon as terrestrial ecosystems. But we need to work harder on the methodology and part of this package will do that. It will allow blue carbon accounting so that we can calculate exactly how much carbon you can store in these systems and bring it to life. We will work with our Pacific family, as the Prime Minister said, on projects that make a difference to the work and the undertakings that mattered to them. And marine conservation is so important. We host marine migratory species, like turtles that travel all over the world. Part of this package will tackle invasive species. If you think of pigs along the coast of Cape York, digging up turtle eggs and smashing them. If you think of islands that have got feral cats and foxes and that in turn damages the island and marine habitat. Part of this package will tackle that. And just to come back to the turtles, because the turtles in Australia are endangered. They come out of their eggs on beaches all around our coastline, particularly our northern coastline and they travel all over the world. They are distracted by light. Not that many of them make it but we want as many as possible to be absolutely part of that marine environment.
So, whether it's turtles, or hammerhead sharks, or the humpback whale, which is coming back in numbers, or the migratory shore birds. As we have seen here, the Eastern curlew lands here. But it starts its journey in the Arctic in many cases. So being able to go to these migratory shore birds on our mud flats and understanding why they need the sea grasses so they can fatten up for that long journey home is absolutely vital. So, whether it's blue carbon accounting in a technical sense or whether it's preserving our marine species, but every single one of these initiatives in this $100 million is recognising the role of our coastal communities. This brings back jobs. It brings back recreational fishers, because when you have a pristine environment like this, the fishers are out here, the tourists are coming, there is a buzz in the cafes. People who walked along this walkway today remember how it used to be will just go wow, the coastline is coming back. So I'm delighted Prime Minister, to be of course here in the Sutherland Shire but to be recognising your strong leadership in oceans.
PRIME MINISTER: Let’s take some questions on the initiatives and happy to take any other matters.
JOURNALIST: The conservation group Sea Shepherd, they have welcomed this announcement. They have also said they would like to call on the Government to shut off the Great Australian Bight from any further fossil fuel projects? Is that something that will be happening?
PRIME MINISTER: Those projects, to the best of my knowledge right know, there are no projects pressing there. There were some before the last election and those have already been dealt with. So what we're focused on with this announcement today is how we can use the blue carbon initiatives that actually address our emission reduction targets. It's a huge part of what we're trying to do. When you think about reducing emissions, people often think about how they use electricity or how we produce electricity or they think of coal-fired power stations or things like that. But that's not what it's only about. The emissions that come and then can be captured in places like these, very sensitive environments, all around the country, you just think about how much coast there is in Australia and what that is in terms of an opportunity for us to manage that environment effectively, that can help us achieve what we're seeking to achieve with the transition of Australia into a global net zero economy. And so today is really about focusing on that, on that challenge, and that's why we're here today and focusing on these particular environments.
JOURNALIST: Last night, I believe, you said that for Australia it is not a question of if or even by when for net zero but importantly how.
PRIME MINISTER: Correct.
JOURNALIST: Why don't you think it matters when Australia reaches net zero given that climate scientists agree?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I have said we want to do it as soon as possible, preferably we’d like to do that by 2050, potentially could be done earlier. But the how decides when you get there. I've heard a lot of people make a lot of commitments in this area, and I've heard it from countries that frankly haven't had any reduction in their emissions. I have heard it from countries whose emissions are still rising. But how we actually achieve it will determine when we achieve it. And that's why I said last night that one of the most important targets that Australia has is to be able to produce hydrogen at $2$nbsp;a kilo. If we can achieve that, if we can achieve that, that will be one of the biggest game changers there is in the energy economy. I mean, hydrogen can be used to drive vehicles. I mean, up there in the Pilbara at the moment, they are putting them in the mining trucks. It can be used through the catalytic process that I was seeing earlier this week to drive the turbines that currently are fired by, in coal-fired power stations. I mean, how you do it actually shows you how you get to the end of it. See, it's not enough if Australia continues to make the progress that we're making. To address the global challenge, then we need commercial technologies that are going to transform how the economies of China operate, of how India operate, how Indonesia operates. I thought one of the most significant contributions last night was from President Widodo. I thought he had a very practical outlook on this, and he's not interested in extra taxes on borders to shut out economies. What he wants to do is work with countries like Australia where we have a great partnership to develop these technologies and ensure that they can transform their industries. So the how is what this is all about. And the how is not just being done by governments. The how is being done by entrepreneurs. It's being done by businesses who are investing. It's being done by scientists. It's being done by practical people, solving practical problems, to ensure that we can keep making things, creating jobs, and looking after and enhancing our standard of living. Not just in Australia, but in developing countries all around the world. So, the path we're on is a shared path with the developing economies of the world, but particularly in our region. And that's why we're so focused on the how. Because if you don't know how, you'll never know when.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on that point though, at the Summit last night Xi Jinping said developed nations need to increase their ambitions with respect to targets, pitching in more to help with developing countries. Given that China is the biggest emitter and the second biggest economy in the world, do you think it's right that it is classed as a developing nation from a climate perspective and should they be held to a greater account?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the globe doesn't recognise the accents or nationalities of emissions. Carbon emissions, methane emissions, they don't have an accent, they don't have a nationality. They all have the same impact. And for a truly global problem, then that's how you have to address it. Now, I made the comment several years ago that when it comes to these things, in particular, but more broadly, when you have countries the size of the United States and their economy, but particularly China, where they continue to build coal-fired power stations every week, and the emissions will continue to rise until 2030, those emissions combined will add significantly to the carbon load that the world will be dealing with over the next 30$nbsp;years. My point about this, though, comes back to technology again. If we expect developing economies to change what they are doing, then we have to be able to deliver the commercial technology that enables them to make that change. That is not going to come because some politicians sit in a room and say some things. It is going to happen when Australia can present to an industrialist in Indonesia or Malaysia or in Vietnam or in China, or in India, and say, ‘You can do exactly what you're doing in this plant with this hydrogen catalyst and this technology and you can employ everyone you're looking to employ and you can make the steel you're looking to make, or the aluminium, or whatever it might happen to be.’ That is the answer here. The answer is technology, not taxes. And here in Australia where the load for this challenge in the past has often been wanted to be forced on to regional Australians, and for their industries to be taxed off the planet, I'm not going to be doing that. The plan that we're pursuing on climate change, the plan that we're pursuing to adjust and to participate in the big change in the global economy to a net zero economy, is being done through technology. Because if you do it through taxes, as I noticed one large economy last night, who made a big commitment – very big commitment, it was 45$nbsp;per cent reduction by 2030 – they've also announced $170$nbsp;per tonne carbon price. I won't be doing that in Australia. I will be getting there by technology, not taxes.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will you have an update on the climate target before Glasgow?
PRIME MINISTER: I indicated last night that we were reviewing all those at the moment. We're going through that process and when we have more to say about that, we will.
JOURNALIST: Can I just ask you on hotel quarantine, Prime Minister, there's a couple of the premiers who are starting to get itchy feet around arrivals from India. You made a commitment yesterday – would you consider upgrading that to a full suspension of flights?
PRIME MINISTER: The only place where there are direct flights to Australia from India are to Sydney. We have already agreed and are working with the New South Wales government on reducing the capacity on those flights by 30$nbsp;per cent and if a state government wants to do more than that, then we will work with them to that end. In the Northern Territory, we're rescheduling what were the flights out of India. So that means that will significantly reduce the load up there in the Northern Territory. If we need to go further there, they are the discussions I am having directly with Chief Minister Gunner. We are all working on the same page there. There are only two airports in the country where direct flights come from India.
As we discussed yesterday, and that's why we agreed to what we did yesterday and there was unanimity on this point from all premiers and chief ministers yesterday, that where we have people who are coming in from India, which we know is a high-risk country – as I said yesterday, the percentage of cases in our quarantine of those who have come from India has gone from 10$nbsp;per cent to 40$nbsp;per cent. That's a serious issue we have to address. Now, the largest element of that is in the Northern Territory and in Sydney, as you'd expect, because that's where the direct nights come. So that's why we're addressing those principally. But we also agreed and we're putting this in place now, that if someone has been in India in the past fortnight, and if they’re coming through a transit country, then they will have to have a PCR test in that country 72$nbsp;hours before departure. That will I think put a brake, a filter, on those who are getting on the flights, whether it is Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or perhaps in Doha or other parts where people are coming through. So, it's not a simple matter of just saying people from India can't come to Australia, because they are not coming directly from India, they are coming through other places. And so that's what we're working to put in place. That's what we agreed to do yesterday as a National Cabinet and so we're working hard to implement that agreement. If there is further action, not just in relation to India, because yesterday we agreed this not specifically about India, but in other cases where there are countries that we consider to be very high-risk. So it's about managing all these risks. I should stress this also though, that is the total number of cases in quarantine, albeit that a proportion of those that have originated from India, the total number of cases that are occurring in quarantine are about the same they have been all year. So, we haven't seen a spike in the number of total cases over that period of time. There's been a slight increase in the last week or so. So the quarantine system is not failing because of that at this point. So we need to put in place the risk management that protects it going over the next few weeks and the pandemic is raging around the world and I don't expect this to be the last time when we have to make such a decision.
JOURNALIST: Just back to Glasgow quickly.
PRIME MINISTER: Sure.
JOURNALIST: It is possible that you will go to Glasgow without setting a new target? Is that a possibility?
PRIME MINISTER: When I go to Glasgow, which is what I hope to do, assuming we can all go to Glasgow, then we will be making the statements that we will be making there. And so when we're in a position to do that, that's where we will make them.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we have seen 18$nbsp;new cases in hotel quarantine in New South Wales in the past 24$nbsp;hours. How confident are you in the hotel quarantine system? And obviously at this stage it would be preferable to be further along with the vaccine rollout in case there were any leaks from hotels.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we will soon reach on the vaccination program a million Australians vaccinated by GPs. And so the enlistment, as was always the plan, of the GPs in the vaccination rollout, has just been going from strength to strength. The numbers going through, as I said, including my mum yesterday, focusing the AstraZeneca on those over 50s, ensuring that we have the available Pfizer doses focusing on those under 50, particularly those in those urgent categories, which are being administered by the state and territories. So I think the partnerships there are really starting to kick in now and we welcome that. Let's understand that while there have been occasions where quarantine has seen some break-outs, of course there has been, no system is completely foolproof. But I must say, particularly here in New South Wales, where they have carried the lion's share of arrivals coming back into Australia, three times what has been done in WA or in Queensland when they were operating at a thousand, they are half rates at the moment. Even Victoria, which has a lot more capacity, is still only doing a third of what New South Wales does. I think the New South Wales quarantine system has proved equal to all those tests and has kept people here in New South Wales very safe and our quarantine system, working with the states and territories because, remember, the quarantine is a function of the public state health orders, and that's how we agreed to do that a year ago at National Cabinet, just more than that actually. And so they are enforcing their own state public health orders. When you look around the world and how we're living in this country today, how are we going to live this weekend and how are we going to come together on Anzac Day in a couple of days' time, in a very different way to what we did last year, a very different way. And that's going to be, I think, a very special and moving moment for the country. One of the many reasons we can do that, not just the shutting of our international borders, but is the way the quarantine has been managed. Not always perfect, but I’ve got to tell you, compared to the rest of the world it rates extremely highly.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you’re happy to be back in the shire. There was traffic, it’s horrendous around here at the moment. There was a project that you announced up at Kirrawee just before the election, it is still nowhere to be seen. What's happening?
PRIME MINISTER: It is in the design phase with the state government. We're expecting, I'm told, we expect progress on that on the ground next year. It's one of the many, many projects that are part of the urban congestion program. After the election, we went, because they were election commitments at that time, they went into the process where we were sitting down with state and territory governments and that's what we have been doing here with the New South Wales government and so they are doing that design work and now in consultation with the local community. I know one thing as a local member, when you do those projects, you want to make sure you get them right. A lot of people have an opinion on that intersection. I have gone through it many times myself. So we are getting that right. And here in the Shire I know that people have been pleased to see the works that we have rolled out. We have a great partnership with the local council here, the Sutherland Shire Council and the state government. We are getting a lot of things down here in the Shire, in St. George, and area where the Cook electorate focuses. And it is just wonderful to be home. So this is a very special part of the world. But for me and my family, it is the most special place in the world. So thank you, all, very much for your time today.