Additional comments from the Australian Greens

1.1In 2023, a record number of species were added to the national threatened species list—a total of 144. Yet under our current environment laws, more than seven million hectares of threatened species habitat has been destroyed.[1] In 2023, global emissions hit record highs. Yet under our current environment laws, 740fossil fuel projects have been approved.[2]

1.2Habitat destruction and climate change are two of the greatest threats to the survival of Australia’s wildlife, yet our current environment laws do nothing to stop them.

1.3Instead of protecting nature, the Albanese Government has broken its promise to fix our environment laws in this term of Parliament and indefinitely delayed critical reforms. This means making our wildlife wait, while continuing to approve more destruction and pollution for longer.

1.4The message could not be clearer—protecting the environment is not a priority for this Government. In the weeks since dumping environmental law reform, the Government announced their Future Gas Strategy to keep supporting new climate polluting projects ‘through to 2050 and beyond’, then presented a budget with absolutely no new funding for nature or wildlife protection.

1.5In this light it is hard to see what the Government has put on the table as any kind of reform. Environment Protection Australia without teeth or strong new laws to enforce is little more than a rebranded government department. Environment Information Australia won’t stop extinctions—it will at best let us know they are happening, while speeding up approvals that destroy more habitat.

1.6The case for full environmental law reform has long been clear and has only become more urgent. Significant time and resources have been committed by experts and stakeholders over many years to equip the Government with what they need.

1.7After constant delays and lack of clarity from the Government, including an inability to commit to the critical cultural heritage reforms that the Samuel Review recommended, this broken promise at the eleventh hour is deeply frustrating. It shows a disregard for the urgency of the issue at hand and makes it difficult to believe that this Government has any real intention to deal with the now indefinitely delayed reforms.

1.8The Samuel Review was clear that the EPBC Act does not support the decision making of First Nations people, including their views, knowledges and their aspirations for their own land and sea. As recommended in the Samuel Review, First Nations people are entitled to expect stronger national protections of the cultural heritage that is consistent with international standards and inclusive of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

1.9The Australian Greens do not support the indefinite delay of critical environmental and cultural heritage law reforms. The Government’s diminished environment policy won’t save our wildlife, won’t stop native forest logging, and won’t stop the expansion of the fossil fuel industry—it is little more than a cave in to polluters, and our environment will pay the price.

1.10Introduce a full package of environment laws to this Parliament that end native forest logging and ensure new coal and gas projects are properly assessed for their climate impacts to stop the expansion of further fossil fuels.

1.11Commit to a timeframe for an exposure draft of standalone First Nations cultural heritage legislation and full implementation of Chapter 2 of the Samuel Review.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young

Chair

Footnotes

[1]See, for example, Australian Conservation Foundation, Threatened species habitat the size of Tasmania destroyed since environment law enacted, 7 September 2018 (accessed 23 May 2024).

[2]Climate Council, 740 fossil fuel projects greenlit under flawed national environment law shows urgent need for change, 27 September 2023 (accessed 23 May 2023). Original data was sourced from the Federal Government’s EPBC Portal, accessible and searchable at: https://epbcpublicportal.awe.gov.au/all-referrals/