The Senate inquiry into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Amendment Bill 2015 was due to report back yesterday on its findings, but has been given an extension until February 2016.
“This bill is clearly unpopular with Australians because it targets the legal rights of communities and groups that are working to protect our environment. This postponement shows that the Turnbull government is looking for a graceful exit from it,” said Nikola Casule, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
“Not only is the bill unpopular, we know that the government doesn’t have enough support in the Senate to get it passed. The Turnbull government needs to show some courage, stop wasting taxpayers’ money and scrap the bill altogether.
“This bill is a vindictive, knee-jerk reaction borne of the previous Abbott government’s frustration over not being able to approve the environmentally disastrous Carmichael coal mega-mine.
“Instead of this attempt to save face, there should be recognition that Adani’s Carmichael coal mine project is becoming increasingly irrelevant to Australia’s economic future by the day,” said Dr Casule.
Attorney-General George Brandis in August announced an amendment to the EPBC Act that would remove the right of third party individuals or groups to challenge environmental approvals for large projects such as mines.
The move came after a court challenge from the Mackay Conservation Group forced Environment Minister Greg Hunt to withdraw environmental approval for the Carmichael coal mine in Queensland because he had not adequately considered its impact on local wildlife species.
ENDS
Sydney, 13 October 2015 - The government knows it is on shaky ground over attempts to weaken Australia’s environmental protection law and should just abandon the effort completely, Greenpeace Australia Pacific said today.