The report in Guardian Australia today that the NSW Government is considering laws to stop courts and planners blocking coalmines on climate grounds shows why our federal environment laws need fixing, the Greens say.
“Australia’s federal environmental laws are out of date and not fit for purpose, especially when we are in the midst of a climate crisis,” Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“This is why the Greens are pushing for a climate trigger which would provide a mechanism to assess major developments and approve or reject them based on their emissions.
“It is these factors coalmine applications have been rejected upon in NSW and that the Minerals Council is now jumping up and down about.
“We cannot leave the future of our environment up to the Minerals Council and their lobbying of MPs in one state when emissions affect all Australians and the entire planet.
“It’s despicable the NSW Government would even consider legislating to rule out environmental assessments considering the impact of pollution and on climate change. They may want to maintain their flow of donations from the fossil fuel industry but the rest of us realise Australia has a global responsibility to curb emissions and that the future of our planet lies in an urgent transition to renewable energy.
“It’s time the Federal Government started listening to the millions of Australians who want action on climate change and fixed our weak environmental laws before it’s too late.”
