Hard-fought- for Australian environmental protection laws that have been in place for decades are at risk of being destroyed. The Federal Government has a “One Stop Shop” bill before the Senate seeking approval to “simplify the approvals process for businesses, to lead to swifter decisions and improve Australia’s investment climate while maintaining high environmental standards”. The policy is to hand power over to state governments to make decisions about environmental matters of national interest, ie The Nine Listed Matters of Environmental Significance such as Wetlands, Biodiversity and World Heritage Areas. goo.gl/FCYVhH Rachel Walmsley (2014) of the Australian Network of Environmental Defender's Offices calls this the “Eight Stop Shop” that will do irreparable damage: goo.gl/sVpD5x
Leard Forest destroyed by open cut coal mine. Photo credit: Kate Ausburn www.flicker.com
There is clear conflict of interest because state governments receive royalties from mining projects and taxes from business. Strong Federal Government laws have so far protected places like the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu. Under these proposals, environmentally devastating large-scale mining and development projects will be given the go ahead in threatened natural areas in order to “increase investment”. What’s more, as has happened in New South Wales under the Planning Assessment Commission, community consultation becomes tokenistic. One example is the recent approval of the $1.2bn Shenhua Watermark opencut coal mine near Gunnedah on good quality agricultural land: goo.gl/xlqYXs This situation goes against the Catholic Social Teaching principles of subsidiarity, the common good and care for creation. It calls for people to speak out to prevent it going ahead.
Read more of the current Columban - E-Connections