2022-04-26
Greens Leader Adam Bandt will today join Greens candidate for Richmond Mandy Nolan to announce that in balance of power after the next election, they will legislate to allow flood victims, councils and governments to sue coal and gas corporations for climate-fuelled flood damage, and push for $190m in funds for local communities to build and upgrade critical infrastructure to reduce flood impacts.
The announcement is part of the Greens plan to prepare for climate impacts, which will also see a doubling of emergency services funding to $5 billion over the next decade, increasing personnel and equipment.
The Greens will change the investment restrictions on the Emergency Response Fund so that $600m is spent per year until 2026-27, and $300m per year from 2027-28 on climate resilience projects to protect communities. This includes a total investment of $190m into Richmond, the regional electorate most at risk of rising insurance premiums from climate impacts in the country.
Richmond, a key priority seat for the Greens, was devastated by the climate floods of February and March 2022. Over 3000 homes in the Northern Rivers region are uninhabitable. On current polling a power sharing Parliament, with Mandy Nolan in the balance of power, looks increasingly likely.
Lines attributable to Greens Leader Adam Bandt:
“Coal and gas are the leading causes of climate change, which is ravaging the Northern Rivers.
“Coal and gas corporations fuelled the floods and they should pay for the damage they have caused
to the Northern Rivers.
“Labor and Liberals are putting even more lives at risk by opening 114 new coal and gas mines. The Greens want to stop new coal and gas mines and give the community, the council and governments the right to sue the coal and gas corporations that have knowingly made the climate crisis worse.
“To save lives, we need to urgently tackle the climate crisis, but we also need to support communities to prepare for a changing climate.
“Scott Morrison ignored the demands of climate chiefs and emergency services personnel. His government is more interested in making a buck off the Emergency Response Fund than he is in protecting communities from the impacts of burning more coal and gas.
“Eleven dollars are saved for every one dollar spent protecting communities before natural disasters strike. If Richmond elects Mandy Nolan to join the Greens in the House of Representatives, we’ll kick the Liberals out and push the next government to urgently invest to keep us safe from climate induced disasters.”
Lines attributable to Greens candidate for Richmond Mandy Nolan
“When coal-fuelled floods devastated our region, the strength and resilience of this community was on full display. Neighbours saved neighbours, towns rallied to keep people safe. But they’ve been held back by a government that is on coal and gas corporations’ side.
“The world’s biggest polluters have known for decades that they’ve been causing climate change, yet they kept on selling coal and gas.The law made asbestos companies pay and now it’s fossil fuel corporations’ turn.
“We shouldn’t have to be clearing mud out of our houses wondering if the government is ever going to show up. We need to double support for emergency services to make sure our brave volunteers have the tools and personnel needed to protect us and clean up after a disaster.
“Our communities know what’s needed to prepare for a safe climate future. But Liberal and Labor are pouring fuel on the fire by backing more coal and gas. It doesn’t matter what Labor are saying to our faces - when they go to parliament and vote for more fossil fuels, they’re making Richmond less safe.
“In the balance of power, I’ll be pushing for urgent funding to strengthen our responses and ensure villages and towns across Richmond can invest in the critical infrastructure and equipment they need to manage the floods of the future.