2016-08-17
The Queensland Greens support community calls for State Parliament to quickly pass laws to restore controls on large scale tree clearing.
Greens' spokesperson Andrew Bartlett said the massive clearing that had occurred in the short time since the Liberal National government severely weakened tree clearing controls shows that restoring protections immediately is crucial.
"The large scale clearing causes significant extra carbon emissions at a time when we already have a climate emergency underway. It also directly harms the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park through increased runoff, as well as harming local ecosystems and increasing the numbers of threatened and endangered species.
"Far more jobs will be lost by continuing to allow the trashing of our environment, compared to the few that might come from continuing these highly destructive practices.
"Queensland's Parliament must act now to defend our environment and the jobs and communities that depend on a healthy Reef and a stable climate."
For more information, contact Andrew Bartlett.