2015-11-11
The Australian Greens are urging the cross-bench Senators to continue to block the Turnbull Government's plan to give all federal environmental approval powers to state or even local governments.
"It is deeply disappointing that Malcolm Turnbull is pushing Tony Abbott's plan to take an axe to environmental protection," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens Deputy Leader and environment spokesperson, said.
"The government has recommenced lobbying the cross-bench to let it gut national environment protection, leaving state or even local governments to have the final say over massive projects.
"The Greens have opposed these plans since the Gillard Government first proposed them, and for four years we have held off these laws in the Senate through negotiations with other parties.
"Giving away federal powers to protect the environment would be the biggest backward step in environment protection in three decades.
"Under Turnbull's plans, state or even local governments would be left to decide on massive coal mines like Shenhua in the Liverpool Plains or Adani in the Galilee Basin.
"The federal government wouldn't even be able to impose conditions to protect water or the Great Barrier Reef.
"Not only would the Turnbull Government's plan give away its power to protect water, it would hand over federal protection for our World Heritage Areas and our endangered species to irresponsible state governments.
"The Turnbull Government is trying to give its big mining donors free rein and it has deeply under-estimated how much Australians care about our environment," Senator Waters said.