It’s untenable to leave the National Party in charge of water and a Royal Commission is needed more than ever, after today’s Auditor-General’s report into ‘Watergate’ found the government didn’t even try to achieve value for money of water entitlements and didn’t appropriately manage conflicts of interest, the Greens say.

The Greens are calling on Environment Minister Sussan Ley to immediately release the interim report into Australia's environment laws handed to her a week ago by the independent reviewer.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who successfully moved an order in the Senate for the interim report to be released by today at the latest, said:

Heads should roll over the ineptitude and failure of duty identified by the Auditor-General in a scathing report into Australia’s environment laws released this afternoon, the Greens say.
Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“The Auditor-General’s assessment of the government’s management of the environment and our wildlife is scathing.
“The report shows the Environment Minister and the Federal Department have failed to protect the environment and are, simply put, incompetent.

Labor’s support of the Morrison Government’s plans to fast-track approvals for major projects risks permanent destruction of our environment and the future of our native wildlife, the Greens say.

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

“Labor is teaming up with the Morrison Government to green light environmental destruction.

“It is very naïve of Labor to think the process for environmental approvals won’t be shoddier as a result of this deregulation plan.

The Morrison Government’s “deregulation plan” is code for letting big business cut corners at the expense of our environment, the Greens say, pledging to fight the plan in the Parliament.

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

“The Morrison Government wants to sacrifice environmental protections so miners and developers can bank bigger profits.

Greens Spokesperson on First Nations issues Senator Rachel Siewert said:

“I am appalled and deeply upset for the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people who have been treated with such blatant disregard and disrespect by the State Government and Rio Tinto.

“The State Government must account for the processes that allowed this to happen.

“I cannot imagine a European artefact of such cultural significance being destroyed like this."

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

The Covid Commission being riddled with self-interested fossil fuel industry executives touting their own sector as the economic saviour from the coronavirus pandemic is just the latest attempt by the Morrison Government to further destroy our environment, the Greens say.

Greens spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“Whether it is cutting environmental protections even before the 10-year review into the EPBC Act is completed or stacking the Covid Commission with the gas and mining lobby, the fix is in.  

The Greens have pledged to make Australia’s rivers and lakes swimmable again, under their Covid-19 Economic Recovery plan, that’s good for jobs, the economy and the environment.

The Swimmable Lakes and Rivers Pledge would see iconic rivers and lakes across the country restored and clean enough to swim in within the next decade.

It is one of the job-rich projects under the Greens Next Gen Guarantee which would see young people guaranteed a job and secure income to restart the economy and build a better normal after Covid-19.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young responded to the Federal Government’s announcement of $150million for Bushfire Recovery for Species and Landscapes:

“This announcement is much more about trying to win a by-election than anything to do with helping the environment and wildlife.

“If the Government cared a bit more about protecting koalas than they do protecting their seats in parliament, we might have faith they have a plan for bushfire recovery.

Responding to the Independent Review into the Lower Lakes, Greens Spokesperson for Water and Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The CSIRO-led report into the Lower Lakes is a dire warning for the quality of Adelaide’s drinking water if Governments don’t act sooner and faster on climate change.