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West Australian
6 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Clean energy, environment unity ticket on nature laws
Environment groups and the clean energy industry have found common ground on long-awaited nature law reforms, joining forces to urge the federal government to hurry up and finish the job. The unprecedented alliance between the Clean Energy Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, Australian Marine Conservation Society and others is bound by the shared belief that existing environmental protections are failing both biodiversity and the energy transition. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-shape the law to tackle Australia's climate and nature crises," Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said. The federal laws designed to kick in when renewable energy, mines and development threaten vulnerable species and other "matters of national environmental significance" are widely considered ineffective and in need of overhaul. The federal government has promised reform but failed to complete the task in its first three-year term. In the meantime, existing regulations have failed to stop projects destroying critical habitat at the same time as cumbersome environmental assessments have delayed the clean energy rollout. Clean Energy Investor Group chief executive Richie Merzian said the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was the number one concern for renewable energy investors and developers. Projects were taking nearly twice as long to secure approval and the assessment backlog was growing, Mr Merzian told AAP. "We want to see faster yeses and faster nos," he said. The alliance, which also includes the Electrical Trades Union, Re-Alliance, WWF Australia and Biodiversity Council, agree on key pieces of environmental reform including legally-enforceable standards to prevent subjective ministerial decision-making. Setting up an independent "cop on the beat" Environmental Protection Agency was also backed by the coalition, as well as more resources for departments to keep projects moving through the process. Better planning should further help solar and wind developers identify "regions we should and shouldn't be working in". Mr Merzian said the "nature versus climate" narrative was false. "We can and should be doing both," he said. Electrical Trades Union national secretary Michael Wright said delayed environmental assessments were making it hard to train workers for future jobs. "The uncertainty of the assessment process means there is no reliable pipeline of work for communities or to train apprentices on anywhere close to the scale we need," he said. New environment minister Murray Watt has already indicated that legislating a federal environment watchdog will be one of the top priorities for the returned government. It's not been the only pressing matter competing for his attention, with the minister opting to greenlight Woodside's proposal to extend its North West Shelf project in Western Australia after years of delays. The expansion has been granted commonwealth go-ahead despite concerns about its emissions burden and impact on sacred rock art.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Clean energy, environment unity ticket on nature laws
Environment groups and the clean energy industry have found common ground on long-awaited nature law reforms, joining forces to urge the federal government to hurry up and finish the job. The unprecedented alliance between the Clean Energy Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, Australian Marine Conservation Society and others is bound by the shared belief that existing environmental protections are failing both biodiversity and the energy transition. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-shape the law to tackle Australia's climate and nature crises," Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said. The federal laws designed to kick in when renewable energy, mines and development threaten vulnerable species and other "matters of national environmental significance" are widely considered ineffective and in need of overhaul. The federal government has promised reform but failed to complete the task in its first three-year term. In the meantime, existing regulations have failed to stop projects destroying critical habitat at the same time as cumbersome environmental assessments have delayed the clean energy rollout. Clean Energy Investor Group chief executive Richie Merzian said the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was the number one concern for renewable energy investors and developers. Projects were taking nearly twice as long to secure approval and the assessment backlog was growing, Mr Merzian told AAP. "We want to see faster yeses and faster nos," he said. The alliance, which also includes the Electrical Trades Union, Re-Alliance, WWF Australia and Biodiversity Council, agree on key pieces of environmental reform including legally-enforceable standards to prevent subjective ministerial decision-making. Setting up an independent "cop on the beat" Environmental Protection Agency was also backed by the coalition, as well as more resources for departments to keep projects moving through the process. Better planning should further help solar and wind developers identify "regions we should and shouldn't be working in". Mr Merzian said the "nature versus climate" narrative was false. "We can and should be doing both," he said. Electrical Trades Union national secretary Michael Wright said delayed environmental assessments were making it hard to train workers for future jobs. "The uncertainty of the assessment process means there is no reliable pipeline of work for communities or to train apprentices on anywhere close to the scale we need," he said. New environment minister Murray Watt has already indicated that legislating a federal environment watchdog will be one of the top priorities for the returned government. It's not been the only pressing matter competing for his attention, with the minister opting to greenlight Woodside's proposal to extend its North West Shelf project in Western Australia after years of delays. The expansion has been granted commonwealth go-ahead despite concerns about its emissions burden and impact on sacred rock art.
The Guardian
14-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Coalition scores just 1/100 points for environment and climate policies from conservation organisation
One of Australia's largest conservation organisations has awarded the federal Coalition just 1 out of 100 for its environment and climate change policies – the lowest score it has given the Liberal and National parties in more than 20 years of compiling pre-election scorecards. Labor scraped through with a pass – on 54% – while the Greens achieved 98%, according to the scorecard, which ranked the major parties and key independents on their policies for protecting nature, championing renewable energy, and rejecting nuclear and fossil fuels. The Australian Conservation Foundation's chief executive, Kelly O'Shanassy, said the Coalition's 'woeful' score reflected its support for 'expensive and risky' energy sources like nuclear and polluting gas. 'They've failed every single test,' she said, adding that the Liberal and National parties wanted to cut environmental protection at the behest of the fossil fuel industry. O'Shanassy said Australians 'really cared about nature and a safe climate', issues that had barely been mentioned during the election campaign, despite major differences between Labor and the Coalition. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Labor was 'halfway there', she said, thanks to support for renewable energy – including an 82% target and a home battery subsidy – and its rejection of nuclear power. But the party had lost points for weakening nature protection laws and for continuing to approve new coal and gas mines. Labor was sharply criticised by ACF and other conservation organisations in the last term of parliament after Anthony Albanese intervened to shelve legislation to create a national Environment Protection Agency after a backlash from Western Australia. Labor and the Coalition then voted together to protect salmon farming in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour from a legal challenge. Labor has legislated national emissions reduction targets – a 43% cut compared with 2005 levels – which the Coalition has pledged to review. The Coalition's single point was awarded for its acknowledgment of concerns that Aukus could leave the door open to Australia accepting high-level nuclear waste from overseas. The Greens and several community independents – including Andrew Wilkie, Caz Heise, Monique Ryan, Nicolette Boele, and Zali Steggall – all scored above 90% for policies that championed renewables, protected nature and opposed nuclear energy and new fossil fuels. Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Prof Lesley Hughes, a biologist and climate change specialist at Macquarie University who was not involved with the scorecard, said the Coalition's low score was 'absolutely deserved'. 'The Coalition has voted against all policies in the recent term that aim to reduce emissions, and has promised, if elected, to roll back things like fuel standards and weaken the safeguard mechanism,' she said, adding that its support for nuclear energy had been thoroughly discredited. But she said the scorecard, like others – including one recently published by the Climate Council – also showed that 'Labor still has a way to go'. The Labor government had 'bowed under pressure from the fossil fuel lobby', she said, and had ignored the wishes of most of the Australian population to better protect biodiversity and step up climate action. 'In the next term, we need to see the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act finally reformed so it does its job properly. And we need to see steps to a serious transition out of fossil fuel exports,' Hughes said. 'We also need to see an end to the billions of dollars of taxpayers money going to prop up the fossil fuel industry – let's spend that money on nature instead.'
