2024-05-29
Labor’s broken promise to fix Australia’s environment law is a cave-in to the logging, fossil fuel and mining lobby that will make the extinction and climate crisis worse, according to experts, environmentalists and the Greens today.
Labor’s broken promise, confirmed in Parliament today, has been welcomed by the mining industry and widely criticised by environment and climate groups.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is spokesperson for Environment & Greens Manager of Business in the Senate:
“It’s a terrible day for nature as the Labor Government has sold out the environment in favour of the bulldozers, the chainsaws and the fossil fuel polluters.
“Today the Albanese Government confirmed that from now until the election they will continue to approve the destruction and pollution that threatens koalas and puts our kid’s future of a safe climate at risk.
“What’s been put on the table won’t save our wildlife, won’t stop native forest logging and won’t stop the expansion of climate wrecking coal and gas mines.
“The reason mining corporations are crowing and environment groups are furious today is because Labor has caved-in to the logging and mining lobby who want faster and easier approvals for their destructive projects. Our environment will pay the price.
“Labor just can’t be trusted to protect the environment and climate from vested interests. Only the Greens using our power in the parliament can be trusted to fight for nature and stand up to the fossil fuel lobby.
“Under Australia’s environment laws 740 fossil fuel projects have been approved and millions of hectares of threatened species habitat has been destroyed. Keeping our current laws is not environmental protection, it's an environmental sell-out to polluters.
“We are running out of time to save the planet, but Labor wants our environment and wildlife to wait, while coal and gas companies get their applications fast-tracked so they can keep making more money and more pollution.
“As experts have said today, a toothless EPA is useless while Labor continues to approve more coal, gas and native forest logging. Instead of caving-in to big business, Labor should work with the Greens to put a climate trigger in our environment laws and end native forest logging.
Climate & Environmental destruction:
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Since coming into office the Albanese Government has approved 5 new coal mines, 8 gas mines have also been approved on their watch.
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There are currently 148 proposals to destroy Koala habitat in the pipeline.
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There is approximately 117 fossil fuel mines currently in the pipeline.
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740 fossil fuel projects have been approved under the current laws
The Labor Government’s legislation tabled in the parliament today does nothing to stop this destruction and pollution.