Conservationists call for laws to have less focus on benefiting the resource sector

March 15, 2022

Environment / Government /

The Australian Conservation Foundation considers the Federal Government’s latest attempt to reform Australia’s environment law benefits the resources sector rather than protecting nature.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley and Resources Minister Keith Pitt today announced the federal budget will include $128.5 million for environmental law reform.

The ministers said 10 new regional plans would remove the need for project-by-project approvals under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

ACF national biodiversity policy adviser Sophie Power notes “while regional planning has merits, we are concerned the government’s approach appears to focus on making things easier for resource extraction industries, rather than protecting nature.

“To tackle Australia’s extinction crisis we need strong national environment protection laws.

“Without robust standards to protect nature, fast tracked approvals will fast track extinction.

“A 2021 study found 19 Australian ecosystems, including the Murray-Darling river system, the Monaro Tablelands and northern Australia’s tropical savannahs, are at risk of collapse.

“Koalas have recently been uplisted to ‘endangered’ in Queensland, NSW and the ACT.

“Now would be a reckless time to make changes that could result in more threatened species habitat being destroyed for commercial projects.

“We urge the government to provide more information about its proposed regional planning approach – including which 10 areas are to designated ‘priority development regions’.

“Environmental offset schemes have been shown to be ineffective – and have actually facilitated the decline of threatened species – so we need more detail about what the government’s aim is when it says it will ‘modernise the environmental offsets policy’.

“Professor Graeme Samuel’s comprehensive once-in-a-decade review of the EPBC Act found it to be ‘ineffective’ and ‘not fit to address current or future environmental challenges.’

“ACF calls on the Environment Minister to focus a little less on boosting investor confidence and a little more on making sure our grandchildren will be able to see koalas in the wild when they grow up.”

Image: Koalas have recently been uplisted to ‘endangered’ in Queensland, NSW and the ACT

9th March 2021 - Australian Conservation Foundation challenges Government on ‘fast tracked’ environmental approvals

11th March 2022 - Greater Hamilton Volcanic Trail Masterplan adopted to promote and preserve environment and heritage

11th November 2021 - Australian Marine Conservation Society slams Federal Government’s proposed environmental policies

28th October 2021 - Australian Government called upon to firm up environmental commitments ahead of COP26

1st September 2021 - Environmental assessment commences on best management of Victoria’s forests

28th August 2021 - Bendigo City calls for community feedback on draft Climate Change and Environment Strategy

20th July 2021 - Environment Protection Authority makes it illegal to release balloons in Victoria

23rd June 2021 - Environment, parks and tourism secure new funds in NSW budget

3rd June 2021 - Sunshine Coast’s largest environment reserve created with land purchase

18th February 2021 - Report from New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment urges move to sustainable tourism

31st January 2021 - Final review of national environment laws highlights their failure to protect Australia’s oceans

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.