Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has today called for the Nationals to be stripped of the water portfolio following the return of Barnaby Joyce to the leadership.

“After just two days with Barnaby Joyce back in the leadership, the Nationals have launched an extraordinary attack on the River Murray and the people and environment of South Australia.

“This is a direct challenge to Scott Morrison today, stand up to the water terrorists and make sure that Barnaby Joyce never gets his hands on Australia’s water policy ever again.

The Australian Greens have called on the Senate, and state and territory governments, to reject the Morrison Government’s flawed environmental law reforms following the release of a highly-critical Senate Inquiry Report today. 

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Morrison Government is trying to weaken environment protection laws and hand approval powers for mines and big developments to the states rather than the Commonwealth.

“It is quite clear from the Senate Inquiry Report released today into this plan must be stopped. 

The Greens say an investigation is needed into the offsets for the Western Sydney Airport, after revelations that consortiums including advisors to the NSW government made millions from the development. 

An investigation by Lisa Cox at The Guardian revealed that over a quarter of all offsets sold in the NSW scheme were collected by the consortiums. 

Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:

The Greens have today introduced new laws to stop land clearing of critical habitat and save our koalas.

The legislative move would prevent the Federal Environment Minister from approving new mines or developments in koala habitat.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Koalas are a national treasure and yet the Environment Minister is not just failing to save them but she continuously signs their death warrant.

“Unless habitat clearing is stopped, koalas will soon be extinct.

Greens Spokesperson for Water and the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today’s evaluation report by the Murray-Daring Basin Authority shows climate change and corporate greed are the biggest threats to Australia’s biggest river system.

“Today’s report highlights what the Greens have been saying all along, the climate crisis is plunging the Basin into hotter and drier conditions year after year, meaning water for the environment is crucial to survival of the Murray-Darling,” Senator Hanson-Young said. 

The Morrison Government’s new environment-wrecking laws do not have enough support to pass the parliament the Senate Inquiry report into the legislation released this afternoon shows.

The Greens, Labor and crossbench senators Patrick, Lambie and Griff all declared their opposition to the Bill leaving just the Morrison Government and One Nation in support.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Morrison Government’s environment-wrecking laws are dead in the water. 

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.

Despite Federal Government approval for the Santos Narrabri gas field, the community still has two years to stop the project and save Narrabri, Leader of the Australian Greens Adam Bandt MP says.

Santos has until 2022 to decide whether to proceed with the project following an 18 month appraisal phase.

With the project not stacking up economically, environmentally, or against our obligation to stop global warming, the Greens say pressure must be kept on the government and Santos to not proceed.

Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt:

Today’s federal approval of Santos’ Narrabri gasfields will do untold damage to our ability to keep global warming to 2 degrees, the Australian Greens have said. 

Instead of accepting gas expansion through a flawed planning process, the Greens have called for a green recovery - with public investment in clean energy, renewables, and green hydrogen.

Quotes attributable to Greens Leader, Adam Bandt: