The Greens are warning water ministers not to put up the white flag on saving the Murray-Darling Basin and the environmental flows needed to secure its future at tomorrow’s Ministerial Council meeting. 

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Environment and Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Water Ministers must not go to tomorrow’s meeting waving a white flag on saving the Murray-Darling Basin and the environmental flows needed to secure its future.

A koala census won’t save our national treasure and a moratorium on the clearing of critical habitat is still urgently needed, the Greens say.

Responding to the Environment Minister’s announcement today of a koala census to identify key habitat, Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“A koala census won’t save our national treasure from the Morrison Government.

The Greens have slammed the two-week Senate Inquiry into major environment law reforms labelling it a ‘sham’ and are calling on the crossbench to refuse to pass the bill this year. 

The Greens are also urging the Environment Minister to immediately release the final report into the 10-year-review of Australia’s environment laws, which was handed to her by Professor Graeme Samuel on October 31.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

The Greens have successfully established an inquiry into media diversity with the support of the Senate today.

Greens Spokesperson for Media and Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who is chair of the Environment and Communications References Committee which will conduct the inquiry said:

“The Senate has today agreed to the Greens motion to establish an inquiry into media diversity in this country.

The Greens have announced they’ll move for a moratorium on koala habitat clearing to save the national treasure from extinction.

The legislative move would block decisions by Environment Minister Ley like the approval yesterday of a quarry at Pt Stephens which will destroy 52ha of critical habitat for the endangered species. 

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Koalas are a national treasure and yet we have an Environment Minister not just failing to save them but signing their death warrant.

The Environment Minister Sussan Ley has signed a death warrant for koalas by approving the extension of the Brandy Hill quarry near Port Stephens today, the Greens say.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“It defies logic that an Environment Minister would approve the destruction of critical habitat for the koala, a species facing extinction in NSW.

“Sussan Ley has signed a death warrant for the koalas that call this place home.

Greens Spokesperson for Communications Senator Sarah Hanson Young responded to the Morrison Government’s terms of reference for an investigation into Australia Post:

“This investigation is supposed to establish whether this publicly-owned essential service is acting in the best interests of its shareholder – the Australian taxpayer - and yet the enormous pay packets and bonuses pocketed by executives don’t get a mention in the terms of reference.

“No one working in the public service should be taking home multi-million-dollar salaries and paid bonuses.

Not a single dollar of the $250m arts and entertainment package the PM announced with Guy Sebastian four months ago has been spent, the Department has revealed under questioning by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young at Senate Estimates today.

“The Morrison Government has failed the arts and entertainment industry. The fact not a single dollar of this so-called rescue package has gone to an artist or creative four months after the announcement is a kick in the guts,” Greens Spokesperson for the Arts Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Prime Minister picked a dud when he put BHP’s Olympic Dam on his list of 15 major projects for fast-tracking through Australia’s environmental laws, the Greens say, after the company again abandoned its expansion plans.

Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for the Environment Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Prime Minister made a big fanfare over choosing Olympic Dam as one of his pet Covid recovery projects.

“He picked a dud.

“Again, more about the press conference, not so much the substance.

The Greens are backing a High Court challenge to fight for South Australia's water and the Murray-Darling Basin if the Federal Government won't deliver it on time.

Greens Senator for South Australia and Environment and Water Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said:

"South Australia needs to stand up to the upstream states to save the Murray-Darling and fight for our state and our environment.

"If the Federal Government won’t deliver the water needed and promised we should fight for it in the High Court.