Mrs GASH(5.14 p.m.) —I would like to speak on the coalition government's ocean policy and the effects it will have on my electorate of Gilmore. The oceans, seas and coasts of this continent hold a special place in the hearts, history and future of all Australians, nowhere more than in the electorate of Gilmore. For too long, government activity concerning our oceans and coasts has been ad hoc and disjointed with the resulting wastage of resources and less than optimal outcomes.

After one year in power the coalition will do what the ALP promised but could not do in 13 years. The promises of the previous government are perfectly illustrated by their announcement two years ago—at Kiama in my electorate—of a coastal care program with expenditure of $42 million. Did we ever see that? No. In contrast, this government has already spent in excess of $150,000 on coastal care programs in Gilmore, with bushland restoration at Jervis Bay, erosion control at Cudmirrah Beach, rehabilitation of the Bolong wetlands, regeneration of Rocklow Creek wetlands and bitou bush control at Lake Conjola, Narrawallee and Culburra. There have been no promises from this government; there has just been action.

The government's oceans policy will give Australia an integrated and strategic platform for better management of our coasts and oceans and, in so doing, will give those in Gilmore greater reason to look towards a brighter future. It will provide us with a basis for identifying opportunities and promoting economic development of our marine resources and will give us the means to conserve the natural environment of our oceans and to develop the industries and communities that they support.

The people of Gilmore are well aware of how important our coast and adjacent waters are for tourism and recreation. They are also well aware of how important tourism and recreation are to the future of Gilmore. Total direct expenditure by tourists for the year 1995-96 in the city of Shoalhaven—which contains some of our coastline—was $227 million, generating some 5,700 jobs. This was up from $157 million in 1985-86, just 10 years previously. Tourism spending supports larger shopping centres, thereby giving residents a greater range of choice than would otherwise be possible. Tourists demand and are supplied with entertainment facilities which the local population could not support. Tourists fall in love with the area and settle there, thereby boosting the population. Tourists can also be industrialists who eventually set up businesses there, thereby creating new work opportunities. Tourists create a demand for primary products, thereby making farms more viable. The list goes on and on. So, if, through our oceans policy, we can maintain and even improve our most important tourist attractions—which are the seas and coastline—then we are certainly on the right track.

I will give a brief overview of the Gilmore electorate and, as I do, the importance of the relationship between the coastline of the electorate and our future will become apparent. My considerable experience in the tourism industry permits me to comment on the incredible beauty of Gilmore's coastline. The Australian beach is one of the best known images overseas, and Gilmore has some of the most spectacular coastline in New South Wales—and, for that matter Australia. As the crow flies, we have 160 kilometres of coast—from Kiama in the north, through the crown jewel that is Jervis Bay, down to sleepy Bawley Point and North Durras in the south. There are 109 beaches, many of which are deserted and many of which are surrounded by state forest, only accessible by four-wheel drive.

Jervis Bay is—to my mind and that of many others—one of the greatest natural wonders of the nation. More and more, it is proving to be one of the greatest attractions on the New South Wales south coast. Beneath the surface of the water lies a veritable treasure trove of marine life, sustaining a fragile marine culture and providing incredible scuba diving. I recently had the pleasure of attending the launch on Jervis Bay of a new purpose-built scuba diving vessel. The vessel Avalon was launched by the Minister for Transport and Regional Development, John Sharp, and will take people scuba diving in Jervis Bay. This vessel represents another major investment in the tourism industry out of Huskisson on to Jervis Bay and is typical of the sort of investment that will take place in Gilmore as long as we can guarantee the quality and attraction of our oceans and coastline.

In a delicate balance that makes up a very important ecosystem, Jervis Bay is flanked by a magnificent national park. Only if we maintain this delicate balance and protect our marine environment from pollution and pests will the full benefits from commercial development of our ocean resources be available. Eighty per cent of marine pollution comes from the land, and the oceans policy will canvass this major issue in an attempt to reduce pollutants and minimise the impact of uncoordinated coastal development. Providing we are successful in containing pollution, it is hoped that Jervis Bay will provide the basis for ocean medicine and food cultivation in future years—and even some emerging industry opportunities.

The resource base of our oceans is vast. They have enormous potential for developing in ways that are only just emerging. The majority of anti-cancer drugs currently being tested are derived from marine organisms and Australia's marine biological diversity has the potential to add great value to the pharmaceutical industry. This government supports innovative and responsible industrial use of oceans, and the possibilities for Gilmore are limitless—as long as they can coexist with essential environment values.

At the southern extremity of Gilmore is Ulladulla, which is the centre of its own subregion and also the centre of an important commercial fishing industry. With its oceans policy, the government recognises the importance of the commercial fishing industry and also the scale of recreational fishing: a large proportion of the population—including many people who live in or visit Gilmore—fish for pleasure every year. There are many pressures on our fish resources, and we must manage them carefully and meet our obligations to protect them. We must not fish out our stocks or irreparably damage their habitat. To meet the growing demand for fish, we must make better use of the fish we catch. To meet the growing demand from recreational fishermen, we must better manage our marine environment and preserve our magnificent coastline.

The wildlife on the south coast of New South Wales is as much an attraction for tourists as it is elsewhere in Australia. Tourists and locals alike are often known to share a beach or a golf fairway with kangaroos, and visitation to Jervis Bay to see dolphins and penguins has increased markedly. Acknowledging the importance of our flora and fauna, the government has made a concentrated effort to protect one of the most beautiful birds in the world—the albatross. Many thousands of albatross are killed each year by fishing practices which can be modified. To protect them internationally, the government has nominated 11 species of albatross and has extended the requirements for tori poles—which have been mandatory on domestic long-line fishing vessels—to cover foreign long-line fishing vessels as well. These tori poles reduce the incidental catch of albatross. These, in addition to regional conservation agreements, should reduce the threats faced by the albatross, saving them from becoming seriously endangered.

One of the most important aspects of the Gilmore coastline is the lack of human development—and quite often a lack of humans themselves. This lack of development, in addition to the government's oceans policy, augurs well for the retention of our fragile ecosystem, thereby allowing the coastline to remain in its pristine state. If—through our own efforts and those of the government oceans policy—we can maintain the quality of our coastline, we are geographically positioned to take the greatest advantage of the major urban areas and the potential tourists that live there.

At this stage, the only limiting factor to the growth and development of Gilmore is transport. If we have the product which is the attraction—that is the beaches and the coastline—it would be a terrible shame to continue to hinder the tourist's ability to visit them by not improving our infrastructure. It is imperative that our road system is capable of carrying tourists to and from destinations quickly. For Gilmore, that means the completion of Main Road 92 from Nowra to Canberra and the continued improvement of the Princes Highway south from Sydney. Currently, the coast is not easily accessible for the people of the ACT. At this stage, it is necessary to drive down the Clyde to Bateman's Bay or down the Kangaroo Valley Road, which takes in the vicinity of three hours. Those in the House who are familiar with these two roads know that Kangaroo Valley is notorious for its traffic hold-ups and is very dangerous indeed.

With Main Road 92 we would see the ACT market of over 400,000 people located just 1½ hours from an area for which over the years they have already shown an affection. For every one per cent increase in tourism visitation $3.36 million per annum is injected into the economy, creating 57 full-time jobs. The construction of Main Road 92 would allow the Kangaroo Valley Road to be reclassified as a tourist route. It would facilitate a major tourist loop including Sydney, the Southern Highlands, the ACT and the coasts and oceans of the Shoalhaven.

In addition, Main Road 92 would allow the easy access required by HMAS Albatross to Canberra for embassy liaisons and to provide a strategic defence link. Most importantly, the construction of this road would provide quick, easy and safe access to all the coastal attractions that the Gilmore electorate naturally has. With Sydney only two hours north and Canberra two hours west it is up to us then to promote ourselves to get a fair share of the burgeoning tourist dollar. With 58 per cent of our tourists coming to the Shoalhaven from either Sydney or Canberra and 54 per cent coming for the beaches and waterways, it is easy to see the association between the oceans policy and these two most important roads.

As I said previously, we in Gilmore are lucky to have a coastline that is almost untouched. However, this is not so for the coastline of Australia in general. Australia's coastline is one of the most dynamic parts of the landscape and is extremely fragile, yet it represents the most heavily populated portion of the continent, with most development centred on or within 100 kilometres of the coast. It therefore requires strict and ongoing management to ensure that the many conflicting demands placed upon it do not irrevocably interfere with the landscape, a challenge that is adequately met by this government's ocean policy, an ocean policy that covers transport and tourism, science and technology, and from resources and energy to fisheries and environmental management. It is of great importance to my electorate of Gilmore.