'Noticeably absent': Tourism Australia's beach ambassador slams PM on bushfire response

An expert appointed by Tourism Australia to advocate for the nation’s beaches has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison for his lack of leadership on the bushfires that have burnt large stretches of the east coast since late November.

Brad Farmer, a beach reviewer and the agency’s appointed beach ambassador, on Thursday launched a list of Australia’s best beaches 452 kilometres inland from Sydney at Wagga Wagga Beach – now the country’s ninth-best – as the east coast continued to burn.

Mr Farmer, who was not speaking on behalf of Tourism Australia, said beyond the economic loss of the bushfires in recent weeks, Mr Morrison has neglected to recognise the intrinsic value of beaches and their surrounds for residents and tourists.

“The Prime Minister has been noticeably absent and derelict of his care of duty not to protect those irreplaceable coastal assets,” Mr Farmer said.

He said he was urged not to include Diamond Head – south of Port Macquarie – on the list because it was ravaged by bushfires in recent weeks.

“For the government to allow beaches, particularly Diamond Head, to burn to the ground and close them to the public is a travesty,” he said. “There simply was not enough resources to fight that fire [and it was let to burn out].

“The country is taking its beaches for granted and allowing some of it to burn to the ground. National parks are the goose that lays the golden egg and we’re cooking the goose.”

He said his concerns were shared by affected coastal communities along the east coast.

Once a senate policy advisor for Cheryl Kernot, Mr Farmer said he was now drafting a private member’s bill for independent MPs including Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie or Jacqui Lambie in a bid to enshrine the protection of Australia’s coastline in law from climate change and foreign interests.

“We need overarching policy framework to protect the coastline in perpetuity,” he said. “I’m seeing the coast is vulnerable to overseas agents who want to put up megamillion-dollar, pretty crappy casinos and re-engineer the coast and it will be the death knell for the integrity of a natural coast.”

He said residential and commercial development on the Gold Coast had already set a dangerous precedent of irrevocably changing the coastline.

“It is not for sale to the highest bidder, it is sacrosanct. That’s my message to the Prime Minister,” he said.

“Less than half of the states have any coastal legislation. It’s a piecemeal, ad hoc approach. It requires immediate federal intervention.”

He said home owners across the country from Sydney’s northern beaches to Western Australia were suing their respective governments for reparations.

“They are seeking compensation from councils and state governments that allowed them approval to build on precarious parts of the coast,” he said. “Australia is the envy of the world for its natural assets and we are at a turning point to love it or lose it.

“Under the Morrison government we look like we’re going to lose it … coastal erosion and pollution does not recognise borders, only politics does.”

The Prime Minister at a Thursday press conference said the government was taking action on climate change and while it was a contributing factor to the severity of the present bushfire crisis, “it would be incorrect to link our action or the action of any Australian government directly to the current weather events we are facing … climate change is a global problem requiring a global response”.

The spokeswoman added that the Prime Minister at the weekend visited Wilberforce RFS volunteers and members to thank them for their efforts and attended the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services headquarters on November 20 for briefings.

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