Ms LEY (Farrer—Minister for the Environment) (14:53): Can I thank the member for Wentworth for his question. We in rural Australia know that 85 per cent of Australians live 50 kilometres or closer to the coast. We all love our coasts, and the member for Wentworth represents some iconic parts of Australia's waterways and oceans. The government can be proud— Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Members on my left! Ms LEY: I want to reflect on— The SPEAKER: The minister will pause for a second. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: The minister has the call. Ms LEY: I'd like to reflect on the deep connection Australians have with beaches and waterways. They care about their protection and their preservation, and they can be proud of the action our government is taking, both locally and globally. If we start on marine parks, marine parks cover 3.3 million square kilometres of our Commonwealth waters. That's 36 per cent, in which we have fishing, both recreational and commercial; tourism; and conservation operating together—mapped, managed and working for the benefit of all Australians and, indeed, internationally. Australians can be confident in the stability and certainty of our management of the oceans. If we look at the Environment Restoration Fund, there are projects that engage our volunteers, such as those in the member for Wentworth's electorate, and there were a couple of projects in Corangamite, the old electorate of the new senator Sarah Henderson—and we look forward to Senator Henderson taking her place in the other place and representing not just the Victorian coast but indeed all Victorians. Oceans cover 72 per cent of the surface of the world, and that's why our international leadership is absolutely vital. Last night in the Federation Chamber the member for Griffith had the opportunity to ask of me some genuine questions about the environment portfolio. We heard no questions. We just heard one long whinge that gave us the sense that it was all too hard, that the national and international challenges are all too overwhelming. I want to say that we are not sitting on our hands saying, 'It's all too hard.' We know there are national challenges. We know that they exist, and we're stepping up to meet them. We're not overwhelmed by them, as was suggested by the member for Griffith. I point to the foreign minister's scientific hub in Perth, bringing experts from across the Indian Ocean rim to deal with the health of our ocean carbon ecosystems, including mangroves and seagrasses, and the work we're doing with our Pacific island neighbours to help clean up Pacific Ocean litter. Australians can indeed be confident in our strong, stable international leadership on the oceans, which protect and preserve 80 per cent of life on earth.