2017-03-08
Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren says whoever wins Government on Saturday will face big decisions on the future of WA’s environment including runaway biodiversity and urban bushland loss.
“I am concerned that beyond certain issues such as Roe 8, we have not heard commitments in this campaign from either of the old parties about how they plan to save our disappearing bushland areas and wetlands nor WA species such as Carnarby’s cockatoos on the brink of extinction nor how they will boost protection of clean air and the environment,” Ms MacLaren said.
“These aren’t just environmental issues – these are community, human wellbeing and economic issues.
“Nobody except the Greens seems to have registered the importance of protecting mature trees and canopy in our urban areas to counteract rising city temperatures; the value that green and natural spaces provide for our children and community wellbeing; and the economic importance of healthy wildlife populations and wilderness areas for recreation and nature tourism.
“These are issues that the Greens will ensure are not overlooked as long as we are in Parliament.
“We call on whoever wins Government on Saturday to make commitments at the very least to:
- Restore funding to science and conservation programs in the Department Parks and Wildlife;
- Reinstate key performance indicators at the Department of Environmental Regulation to reflect the agency’s mission to protect people from pollution and environmental harm;
- To protect land zoned ‘Bush Forever’ as Bush Forever; and
- Rewrite the draft Green Growth Plan (Perth-Peel Strategic Assessment) which will decide what bushland land is saved and what is destroyed in Perth and Peel over the next three decades, and commit to further genuine community consultation on it.
“Whoever wins Government on Saturday, the Greens will demand these actions from them.”
Related portfolios: Biodiversity & Conservation