Dear Minister for the Environment,
I commend you and the Gunner Government for listening to the evidence, and the people of the Northern Territory and acting to ban seabed mining in the NT. It is a win for marine life, fishing and culture.
Healthy coasts and rivers are central to our Top End way of life, our economic success and our culture. They underpin one of the most important economic and cultural pursuits – the Top End fishing experience. They contribute $2billion to the Territory economy each year, supporting more than 6,000 jobs and are a powerful drawcard for tourists from around the world.
By banning seabed mining, the Gunner Government has demonstrated their commitment to protect our coasts and safeguard our fishing, lifestyle and regional economies.
I strongly support the draft declaration to ban seabed mining. The draft declaration is very positive as it appears to be permanent and it declares that mining exploration and actual mining are prohibited actions within coastal areas.
Please accept this as my submission to the Draft Declaration to Prohibit Subsea Mining requested as per the Environment Protection Regulations 2020.
(This email has also been sent to the Chief Minister, the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security and my local MLA).