Federation Chamber (part 2 of 3)
8 September 2026
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Federation Chamber Australian Parliament
36:52 - 37:13
Speaker 1
When the Federation Chamber resumed earlier, there were technical difficulties with the broadcast which would have prevented the preparation of a Hansard transcript. Accordingly, with the agreement of members, we will restart the period for constituency statements. Are there any constituency statements by honorable members? And I give the call to the member for Mackellar.
37:13 - 39:07
Speaker 2
Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I rise to express my deepest condolences to the Tibetan and Nepalese communities following the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet and the tragic loss of life they have caused. I know the ramifications of this disaster are being deeply felt by Tibetan and Nepalese communities around the world, including families in my electorate of Mackellar. I thank the Australian government for providing support to affected communities in Nepal and know that trying to locate people still missing, including Australians, is the priority. But as we navigate the aftermath of this disaster, it's vital that we understand the context of what has led to this.
Tibet is on the front line of global climate change. The glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau, known as the Third Pole, are especially vulnerable to a warming climate, increasing the risk of sudden and catastrophic flooding. Tibet is a country that is under occupation by China. Tibetans are denied the right to steward their rivers and natural resources. For years, Tibetans have warned about the environmental risks of large-scale mining and mega-dam development inside Tibet.
Already, 193 dams have been built inside there. If the program of mega-dams and mining continues to expand across Tibet, this risks water and food security and lives of around 1.8 billion people who live downstream of Tibet in countries like India and Southeast Asia. The Tibetan community in Australia has repeatedly raised these concerns with the Australian government. Tibetan and human rights organizations are calling for an international moratorium on mega-dam development inside Tibet. They are asking that no major projects proceed without free and informed consent of Tibetans.
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