Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, Senator Susan McDonald, has backed Australian fishers worried about being collateral damage in a renewed push by the Albanese Government and environmental activists to lock up vast areas of ocean. Recreational and commercial fishers have questioned the scale and intent of a federal review into 44 Australian Marine Parks as part of the Albanese Government’s commitment to place at least 30 per cent of Australia’s oceans under highly protected marine park zoning by 2030.

The Queensland LNP Government is being urged by Federal colleagues to seek a three-year extension of North Queensland’s gillnet fishery rather than shutting it down before a $9 million government research program into alternative fishing methods is complete.
Queensland Senator Susan McDonald and Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox have written to Queensland Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett and Environment Minister Andrew Powell seeking a deferral of the scheduled 30 June 2027 phase-out until at least 2030.

Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Senator Susan McDonald, has called for primary producers to submit examples of red tape hampering their ability to improve productivity and profitability.