Portfolio — 31 July 2026

The Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, used the day's media releases to advance two environmental priorities: a major marine park expansion around Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, and a World Ranger Day celebration of the Indigenous Rangers Program. Both announcements reinforce the government's conservation agenda, with the marine parks proposal positioning Australia to reach its 30 percent ocean protection target well ahead of the 2030 deadline.

**Marine park expansion**

Senator Watt announced a proposed expansion of marine parks around Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands that would add approximately 671,500 square kilometres of high-protection "no-take" zones to Australia's waters [TA-260731-climat-7a778615ba86]. An earlier release framed the expansion as designating an additional 670,000 square kilometres where no fishing, seabed mining, or energy extraction would be permitted [TA-260731-climat-5c09730168ca].

The proposal responds to requests from local communities on both islands and would bring the Albanese Government's total highly protected ocean area to 30 percent ahead of the 2030 target [TA-260731-climat-7a778615ba86]. Public consultation on the proposed expansions and the drafting of six new management plans for 44 Australian Marine Parks is open until 4pm AEST on 30 September 2026 [TA-260731-climat-7a778615ba86].

**Indigenous Rangers Program**

On World Ranger Day, Senator Watt and the Minister for Indigenous Australians celebrated the Indigenous Rangers Program, noting that 320 groups now operate across Australia [TA-260731-climat-080aae55fc09]. The government is on track to double the Indigenous ranger workforce from 1,900 to 3,800 by the end of the decade [TA-260731-climat-080aae55fc09].