ABC AM interview with Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek

SUBJECTS: Blue carbon projects, the Great Barrier Reef, UN Ocean Conference  

SABRA LANE, HOST: Almost $10 million of federal funding has been given to restore mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses across the nation. There are five projects in Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia, and the money is being announced by the Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, who's at UN Oceans Conference in Portugal. Minister, thanks for talking to us. These blue carbon projects in Australia, how are they chosen and how long will it take to restore these environments?

TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Well, the projects were chosen using a standard set of criteria developed by the Environment Department. But the really exciting thing about these blue carbon projects is that they have a wonderful benefit in reducing carbon pollution. They're sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere like sponges, storing it in the leaves and roots of the plants we're talking about and sequestering it and at a rate five times better than your average rainforest. So, we're talking here about wetland restoration, we're talking about mangrove restoration, seagrass restoration. So, as well as having this amazing benefit of reducing carbon dioxide pollution, they also provide habitat - really important habitat, breeding grounds for fish, breeding grounds for migrate, trees, birds. Sea grass is obviously a food source - really important food source for dugongs and turtles. So, they've got this carbon pollution reduction benefit coupled with this amazing biodiversity benefit as well, and also potentially protecting our coastal areas from storm surges. I'd love to see more of these blue carbon projects around the country.

LANE: Two of these projects are Queensland based. The Great Barrier Reef narrowly avoided being listed as endangered by UNESCO last year. Do you hope that these commitments will help keep the reef off that list?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Look, I've been at this Oceans Conference in Portugal and there's a great deal of international concern about the health of the Great Barrier Reef. The single most important thing we can do to improve the health of the reef and the likelihood that it will continue to remain healthy into the future is deal with climate change. Climate change is the biggest threat to the reef. So, our strong action on increasing our carbon pollution reduction targets has been really well received internationally and people recognise the importance of it in helping to protect the reef. But projects like this are absolutely really important for the Great Barrier Reef. They improve the water quality, the runoff from the land, they provide really important habitat for reef creatures like dugongs. And whatever we can do to reduce the risk of carbon pollution into our atmosphere is beneficial for the Great Barrier Reef.

LANE: You've just mentioned there you've met with a number of world environment leaders, including your French counterpart. What kind of reception have you received?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: It really does feel like Australia's back when it comes to the environment. I've met with the UN Secretary-General, the Pacific Islands Secretary-General, and a number of presidents and prime ministers, and I've got to say, the reception for Australia has been really warm. People have said that it's great to have a partner again in the Australian government when it comes to protecting our oceans, to acting on climate change, to dealing with big international problems like marine plastics. It's been a really warm reception.

LANE: You've hosted an event with Pacific leaders. My understanding is Australia is promising more money to be announced later to help with what the UN Secretary-General calls an ocean emergency. Is there a twin aim here to build closer diplomatic ties and rebuff China while also helping with threats to the ocean from global warming and plastics?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, Pacific leaders are really clear with us that the biggest threat to them is climate change. And so, working in partnership to deal with climate change to do reef restoration and adaptation, to deal with big issues like you mentioned, marine plastics, overfishing, helping to monitor the health of our oceans in the Pacific. That's really important for our Pacific neighbours. Of course, it also has a benefit of bringing our nations closer. We want to see scientific cooperation, we want to see economic cooperation. So, we're a very willing partner for our Pacific family when it comes to the environment.

LANE: Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek. Thanks for talking to us.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: It's a pleasure. Thank you.