Changes that threaten to water down Australia’s environmental protections are being rammed through parliament under the cover of the federal budget, crossbenchers warn.
The federal government will introduce an amendment to Australia’s main environmental act on Tuesday – during the last sitting week before an election and hours before it delivers a budget.
While Labor committed to reforming the laws by the end of its first term, these changes are not what Australians want, environment groups warn.
“This legislation … is a broken promise to Australians at a time when we all know our environment needs to be protected, not at the behest of industries polluting our environment,” Australian Marine Conservation Society campaigner Alexia Wellbelove told reporters in Canberra
“It’s saying yes to fast-tracking extinctions.”
Crossbenchers and activists have accused the government of using the reforms to court voters in marginal Tasmanian electorates.
The bill is expected to protect the salmon industry in Macquarie Harbour, part of the Braddon electorate which is held by retiring Liberal MP Gavin Pearce on an eight per cent margin.
But intensive salmon farming has caused oxygen levels to plummet and threatened the Maugean skate, an ancient species of fish that is only found on Tasmania’s west coast.
Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the government of carrying out an “environmental gerrymander”.
“This prime minister is putting harvesting a few votes in the Braddon electorate ahead of the very survival of one of the oldest species on the planet,” he said.
“It is just such a cynical, political fix.”
The legislation could also have implications for other parts of Australia as it may allow other projects to pass without full federal environmental assessments.
As a result, the Greens and other crossbenchers including Zoe Daniel, Kylea Tink and David Pocock have opposed the bill.
I struggle to see how the prime minister is any different to (Opposition Leader) Peter Dutton,” Senator Pocock said.
“He may talk a big game, but at every turn, he has undermined any progress on nature protection in this parliament..”
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would make “no apologies” for supporting jobs.
“Environment protection laws that which we inherited from John Howard – they’re not fit for purpose,” he told ABC radio.
“We need to make sure that industry can function, but also that sustainability occurs.”
The coalition is expected to back the laws, though its environment spokesman Jonno Duniam said Labor could not be trusted to protect jobs.
“Without doubt, a re-elected Labor government, captive to the Greens and their own inner-city MPs, will roll back protection of salmon jobs,” he said.
Mr Albanese is understood to have scuppered talks between his own environment minister and the Greens during 11th hour negotiations on major nature laws in November, but the prime minister has said this is not true.
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