Latest news with #EnvironmentalProtectionandBiodiversityConservationAct
West Australian
21-07-2025
- General
- West Australian
Environmentalists opposing Katanning Gold Project ready as public comments open
The environmental group opposing the proposed Katanning gold mine is preparing it submission as public comments open thorugh the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act public portal. The No Mine in Katanning environmentalists said they are studying documents presented by developers Ausgold for the Katanning Gold Project and would have their objections submitted by the time public comments close on the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation website on July 25. The EPBC public portal opened for comments on July 11 and anyone with an opinion has until July 25 to submit their thoughts on the Ausgold plan. The mine is proposed for Badgebup, 30km outside Katanning, and the developers say it could employ up to 350 people. However, the No Mine in Katanning group say they are gathering support from people worried about how it will affect endangered wildlife in the area including Carnaby's black cockatoos and red-tailed phasogales. Documents on the EPBC portal include a fauna survey and risk assessment report by Perth-based environmental consultancy Terrestrial Ecosystems. It put cameras in several locations to record wildlife and found evidence of black cockatoos and phasogales as well as the inland form of the western rosella and western grey kangaroos. It recommended that if there was a referral under the EPBC Act, Ausgold should implement a Vertebrate Fauna Management and Mitigation Plan to outline strategies to minimise the impact on the wildlife and its habitat. A spokesperson for No Mine in Katanning said the mine would severely impact wildlife in the area. 'It is highly likely to have a devastating effect on the natural activities of Carnaby's, red-tailed phascogales and other wildlife,' the spokesperson said. 'Stands of remnant native vegetation within and close to the mine's footprint are Katanning's prime breeding area for endangered Carnaby's black cockatoos. 'They need quiet places to raise their young but this mine, with its 24-7 noise, dust and light pollution, would certainly frighten them away. 'Loss of breeding and food source habitat is the main reason these iconic birds have become endangered, but governments are continuing to allow mining and other developments to destroy crucial habitat.'
The Age
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
Does federal Labor have the courage for change?
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. Refreshing to read Ken Henry's assessment (' Nature is critical to productivity ', 25/6) that productivity is enhanced by good environmental laws. For too long has the reverse been considered by some leaders, saying environmentally harmful investment projects will create jobs in order to justify such projects. Uncertainty about environmental laws has deterred domestic and overseas investors. As Henry says, processing of raw materials that Australia has in abundance, would create many jobs. Value added manufacturing would add to this. Instead we are destroying our environment. Enacting these reforms would take bold leadership, yet this is what voters are wanting. Writers to this paper have been bemoaning the small, albeit necessary, changes to policy by the federal Labor government. Environmental law reform is best tackled in the first year of this second term, so the resultant improvements in productivity can flow through. Will the federal government have the courage? Jan Marshall, Brighton Nature is fundamental to progress Well said that man. Actually, Ken Henry could have gone further; nature is fundamental to productivity. Cleaning up the wreckage of a fire or flood, or burying livestock in a drought may count as economic activities in assessing the GDP, but they're a negative on the productivity scale. That's without counting the human cost. The unproductive anxiety levels generated by a deteriorating environment and the accompanying social disruption are beyond measure. Labor have the parliamentary mandate, now let's see if they have the vision and the courage to do what has to be done. Driving the lobbyists from the steps of Parliament would be a good first step. John Mosig, Kew Myopic thinking puts business first Ken Henry highlights the urgent need for environmental law reform, as proposed by Professor Graeme Samuel. Strict, enforceable regulation of environmental protection could, as he suggests, provide an investment climate within clear limits which enable business development to proceed efficiently, when and where it can, without damaging the environment. Introducing this legislation inspires determined resistance from businesses large and small, who put their immediate interests ahead of the environment that underpins their businesses longer term. This myopia leaves us sliding towards environmental, and economic, collapse. Chris Young, Surrey Hills Watt should take note of 'briefing note' Environment Minister Murray Watt could hardly get a more incisive briefing note for his task of reforming the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act than Ken Henry's succinct account. Two of Henry's observations were particularly telling. One was that only 5 per cent of the nation's workforce is employed by the industries responsible for ″the extinction of more than 100 species and the loss of more than half the continent's forests″. The megaphones used by mining, forestry, fishing and agriculture sectors give a completely disproportionate view of this fact. His second remark was that the future viability of these industries depends on care of nature, an irony that seems lost on their protagonists. Watt's swift approval of the extension of Woodside's carbon-polluting North West Shelf project, admittedly conditional, does not instil confidence in his commitment to robust legislative reform. I and many others would be happy to be proved wrong on this score. Tom Knowles, Parkville THE FORUM Your taxes at work Your correspondent (Letters, 25/6) offers a good solution to the abuse of superannuation tax concessions. The idea that those receiving four times as much or more than the median wage in passive income should pay minimal tax is indefensible, not least because it means those on low incomes and paying full tax are subsidising those with plenty of money in the kitty. No wonder many young hard-working people are angered and feel enslaved. At present, superannuation returns are strong – a 10 per cent return on $3 million yields $300,000 – while the median wage is about $70,000. Some years may have lower returns, but even one as low as 2.5 per cent (a rare event) earns a healthy $75,000. If superannuation returns are occasionally low, that is generally a flow on from wider economic conditions that cause genuine hardship and threaten employment for others: the impact on them is far greater. The occasional low super return is no justification for year-in, year-out tax minimisation that exploits others including workers and consumers (noting that GST can work as a broad-brush catch-up source of tax revenue) upon which the economy is ultimately dependent. Emma Borghesi, Rye Hard choices needed Columnist Sean Kelly makes some interesting points (Comment, 23/6) about Treasurer Jim Chalmers' statement that much-needed tax reform requires not only courage but also consensus. True enough, but consensus will only occur once the electorate can recognise that it's a matter of the government having the maturity to make the hard choices while there's still an opportunity to choose. Chalmers' three goals of productivity, resilience and sustainability are not just wishful thinking: they should be explicit components of all decision-making, with measurable results. The recent election gave Labor a mandate it must not squander. Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor Delivering fairness Surely if Jim Chalmers is serious about tax reform then he must take account of our current pensions and benefit arrangements. Single people under 55 who receive JobSeeker receive $781 a fortnight while a single age pensioner receives $1149 a fortnight. Everyone accepts that single people on JobSeeker live in poverty. We should have a tax and social security system built primarily on need. It must provide for a living income. The current tax threshold of $18,200 is a joke. Ken Henry in his review recommended then that it should be a minimum of $25,000 annually. Every adult should receive this as a minimum payment. John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA
AU Financial Review
09-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Labor is adrift on gas policy. Here's why that's bad
A critical environmental decision and an enthusiastic industry conference have exposed several issues that must be high on the agenda for the second Albanese government. In its first term, the government struggled to be clear on the role of gas, which left gaps to be filled by advocates with strong interests. Current developments demand a different approach. The gas industry celebrated Minister Watt's decision to extend the life of the North West Shelf gas project to 2070 as evidence of an open door to gas. The terms of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act did not allow the minister to reject the project based on its climate change impact. A final decision depends on unreleased conditions related to the impact of the project on important indigenous rock art.
The Advertiser
08-05-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
'The worst we've had them': shock flying fox colony causes power outages
A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks. On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town. While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook. It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts. "We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald. "This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them." The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course. "Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town." The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them. Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night. Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek. "We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said. Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings. Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes. "What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said. "We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others." Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats. "We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said. It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends. A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks. On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town. While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook. It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts. "We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald. "This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them." The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course. "Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town." The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them. Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night. Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek. "We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said. Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings. Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes. "What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said. "We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others." Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats. "We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said. It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends. A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks. On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town. While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook. It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts. "We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald. "This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them." The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course. "Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town." The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them. Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night. Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek. "We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said. Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings. Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes. "What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said. "We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others." Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats. "We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said. It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends. A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks. On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town. While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook. It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts. "We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald. "This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them." The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course. "Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town." The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them. Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night. Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek. "We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said. Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings. Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes. "What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said. "We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others." Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats. "We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said. It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends.
The Guardian
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Queensland moves to crack down on windfarms and exempt Olympic venues from planning laws
Some coalmines could face an easier approvals process than renewable energy projects under a proposed crackdown on windfarms in Queensland, according to an environmental group. The deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, introduced legislation into state parliament on Thursday requiring all green energy developers to undertake community consultation and making them subject to legal challenge. A second leg of the bill would also exempt sporting facilities planned for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics from a swathe of planning laws – including a 60,000 seat stadium on a heritage-listed massacre site – making the government's multibillion-dollar construction program immune to legal challenge. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Queensland Conservation Council director, Dave Copeman, criticised the government's move to toughen legislation around renewable energy projects while at the same time a 'loophole' in state legislation means some coalmines producing less than 2m tonnes a year aren't required to obtain a state environmental impact statement (EIS). They might still be required to get one under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. He said the government's overall approach – including a decision to keep coal power stations open longer – would slow the transition to renewables. Central Queensland community advocate Paul Stephenson said the loophole has meant a mine near his family farm at Monto, 150 kilometres south of Gladstone, hasn't been required to formally consult with local landholders. 'It just doesn't pass the pub test, right? Why should a solar farm be held to a higher standard, with more stringent conditions than an open cut coalmine?' he said. He said numerous communities had been threatened by coalmines not required to undertake consultation due to a lack of a state EIS. Bleijie said the legislation implemented an election promise that green projects 'would be subject to the same rigorous approval process as other major resource developments'. It requires all renewables proponents to conduct a social impact assessment and enter into a community benefit agreement with local councils before lodging a development application. In Queensland, wind projects are currently treated as code assessable, the less strict regulatory process. The new legislation makes them impact assessable, which means proponents are required to undertake public consultation and makes them subject to lawsuits from opponents. 'Under these changes, regional communities will finally be in the driver's seat when it comes to renewable energy projects in their back yard,' Bleijie said. Another section of the bill would 'streamline the planning approvals process' for infrastructure for the Olympics, he said. The bill provides that any Games-related development is not subject to approval under a dozen planning laws, including the Planning Act. Opposition group Save Victoria Park is fundraising for a legal challenge to the Games' main stadium. Spokesperson Rosemary O'Hagan said the government planned to 'bulldoze the city's planning, environment, nature and heritage laws'. 'It's a slap in the face to the community, and to democracy,' she said. The plan violates two election campaign promises, as the premier, David Crisafulli, had promised not to build any new stadiums for the Olympics, and not to build one in Victoria Park, while vying to unseat the then Labor government at October's poll. Minister for the Olympics and Paralympics, Tim Mander, said not passing the legislation would put 'at risk our ability to be able to build the infrastructure that's required'. Planning approval is due for completion in the third quarter of next year, according to the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority. On Thursday Mander said 'those targets will be met'. Exempting stadiums from development rules set a 'worrying' 'precedent' for other projects, such as resources schemes, the QCC's Copeman said. The government also plans to amend or repeal the state's renewable energy target.
