MPs answer call to arms on health of barrier reef

Coalition MPs have backed Peter Ridd’s calls for a new body to oversee the health of the Reef.

Scientist Peter Ridd. Picture: News Regional Media

Coalition MPs have joined sacked marine scientist Peter Ridd’s call for an independent body to quality check coral reef science amid a crackdown on farm practices they believe could become the next “Adani moment” for Queensland’s Labor government.

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Support for a new body comes as Dr Ridd today begins a lecture tour through farming communities along the Queensland coast and federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley prepares to make her first visit to the reef. Ms Ley will today meet cane farmers near Cairns and tomorrow visit the Great Barrier Reef to inspect the coral.

Queensland National George Christensen wants the LNP to support the creation of a new body to check reef science that ­informs public policy on which billions of dollars of taxpayer funds is spent and people’s livelihoods depend.

The LNP state conference last month passed a resolution calling for the creation of an office of science quality assurance.

The resolution is not binding on any future LNP government but a new body would ensure ­“information used by the Queensland government to inform decision making associated with making public policy is rigorous and reliable”.

A spokesman for Ms Ley stopped short of giving her support but said “we need to ensure we are working through the best possible scientific advice”.

“The Reef 2050 plan has already established an independent expert panel to provide scientific advice to the government, in ­addition to the scientific advice provided by the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the CSIRO, universities and other scientific experts,” the spokesman said.

Other scientists have dismissed Dr Ridd’s concerns.

Bundaberg cane grower Brian Pressler opposes new restrictions imposed by the Queensland Labor government. Picture: Vanessa Hunter

Dr Ridd was sacked by James Cook University for not being collegial but his sacking was found to be unlawful by the Federal Court. The university has appealed.

The push for greater quality assurance has been inflamed by new laws in Queensland to toughen water quality regulations on farmers, which will extend to ­regions near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef not previously covered. Under the new rules, farmers will face heavy fines if they buy more fertiliser than the state determines appropriate.

And bureaucrats will be able to tighten the regulations without returning to parliament.

The new laws could be introduced as early as this month.

Champion Bundaberg cane grower Brian Pressler has improved his farm practices but is worried about what the new regulations might mean.

“Going by the science, it doesn’t seem right”, he says.

“I can understand in other areas how they have reef regulations because they have the big annual rainfall but here does not warrant it,” he said.

Bundaberg Canegrowers chief executive Dale Holliss, who has a degree in environmental management, said his group had worked to bring Dr Ridd’s views to a wider audience.

“Finding Peter Ridd has helped us articulate our concerns and has given us another view,’’ Mr Holliss said.

Environment groups have backed the new regulations, which they say are needed to meet obligations to UNESCO for the world heritage-listed reef.

Mr Christensen believes the water quality issue could be the next Adani-style battle in Queensland.

A Queensland parliamentary inquiry has backed the existing science and recommended the legislation be passed.

Bundaberg MP Stephen Bennett said the new legislation was “completely ideology driven”.

“It is just about green preferences for this mob,” he said.

“I would have thought that, after the federal election, they would have at least come back to review what they were doing but there has been none of that.”

He supported calls for a body to check the science: “No one trusts politicians now but what hope do we have when we get involved in this sort of bastardry.”

Mr Christensen said state Labor had failed to appease green groups on the mining front and “are now going for what they think may be easier targets with the farming sector”.

“But they underestimate the sentiment in the community for farmers and they are doing that at their peril,” he said.