Queensland environmental vandals to decide on World Heritage and nuclear issues

Media Release TUESDAY, 25 FEBRUARY, 2014 The Commonwealth Department of Environment has today revealed during Estimates hearings that they are planning to hand over environmental approvals for World Heritage and nuclear issues to the Newman LNP Government. “This is shocking news for Queensland’s environment,” Queensland Shadow Environment Minister, Jackie Trad said. “The Newman LNP Government has proved to be the worst environmental vandals in Australia. They cannot be trusted with their current environmental responsibilities let alone the very important areas of World Heritage management and nuclear issues,” Ms Trad said. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act), was enacted by the Howard Government in 1999 to ensure that environmental issues that were of a national concern were managed in the interests of the nation. “The loss of biodiversity and natural heritage is a national and international concern.  Environmental catastrophes associated with uranium and nuclear production – such as Ranger Mine and Fukushima – are a national and international concern.  “These environmental issues need proper scrutiny and assessment and quite simply, the Newman LNP Government is not up to the job. “The Newman Government has wound back every single piece of environmental protection law in Queensland, even the ones that it promised to maintain at the 2012 State election,” Ms Trad said. “This is a Government whose Environment Minister said “[I am] still to be convinced of the degree to which we [humans] are influencing that [climate change]”, and whose Deputy Premier has declared ‘no interest in the World Heritage nomination [for Cape York]’,” Ms Trad said. Ms Trad called on the Federal Government to exclude World Heritage and nuclear issues from the scope of discussions on the referral of EPBC powers to the State. “If the Newman Government runs true to form and with these additional powers, regional communities will see uranium mines opening up without consultation with little environmental consideration; and Queenslanders can expect to see inappropriate developments approved within our World Heritage areas,” Ms Trad said. “The Newman LNP Government is truly incapable of balancing development with environmental protection and I call on Prime Minister Abbott and Environment Minister Greg Hunt to abandon plans to give Mr Newman more power.” Ms Trad said. Environmental wind back under the Newman Government Recommenced uranium mining in Queensland despite the Mr Newman’s personal promise to maintain Labor’s ban at the 2012 State election. Weakened tree clearing laws earning the description from the Environmental Defenders Office as the biggest leap backwards in environmental regulation, certainly for the last 20 years. This was despite the Premier’s personal promise at the 2012 State election not to reduce the statutory protection in Queensland. Opened up National Parks to grazing, resort developments and commercial enterprises. Reintroduced shooting permits to cull endangered and threatened flying foxes – the pollinators of our rainforests. Removed riparian vegetation protections which will increase silt and pollution into our waterways and out to sea. Cancelled every single renewable energy project in Queensland. Cancelled the waste levy turning Queensland into NSW’s dumping ground. Gutted Coastal Protection and Management laws and removing the mandatory requirement for local councils to plan for sea level rises in their planning and approval by-laws. Opened up State Reserves – ear marked to be added to the National Park estate – to logging. Removed Labor’s moratorium on oil shale extraction and production. Releasing millions of litres of contaminated mine water into the Fitzroy River Basin and out into the Great Barrier Reef. Defunded the Environmental Defender’s Office. Cut funds to Koala habitat protection. Introduced costs into the Planning and Environment Court so residents appealing inappropriate development could find themselves paying developers’ costs. Removed the requirement for flora surveys to be conducted before clearing land. Watered down or removed in the case of the Western Channel Country wild rivers protections, with irrigation and development earmarked for these pristine rivers. Sacked hundreds from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection including many environmental officers responsible for assessing and monitoring environmental issues.