Australia urgently needs a National Water Pollution Plan with clean water looming as the next crisis as a result of the catastrophic fires across the country, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said experts were already warning of the threat to drinking water.

“The unprecedented fires we are seeing across the country are putting Australia’s clean water supply at risk. I’m very worried clean drinking water is the next looming crisis,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Federal Environment Minister is missing in action despite reports that more than a billion native animals have been impacted and killed in the catastrophic fires across Australia and millions of hectares of habitat burnt, the Greens say.

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

“We are in the midst of environmental collapse and the Minister responsible is missing in action. The climate fires have caused an ecological disaster. Entire species may have been wiped out.

The Greens have called on the Prime Minister to establish a ‘Fighting Fund’ for the environment to restore and protect the flora and fauna decimated by the climate fires. 

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

“We are facing half a billion animals lost from these fires right across the country and millions of hectares of habitat destroyed impacting survival and recovery of native species that are left.

“We need a fighting fund to restore the environment.

With an estimated half a billion native animals killed by the devastating bushfires across Australia, the Greens are calling on the Federal Government to urgently fund a review of the loss of native wildlife and bushfire-specific recovery plans for impacted species.

“The impact the climate fires are having on our precious wildlife is heartbreaking. The scale of the devastation is shocking and is making headlines around the world,” Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.  

Today’s meeting of the Murray–Darling Basin Ministerial Council has left the River system in crisis, robbed the environment, and has left South Australia high and dry.

“Today’s meeting has delivered a major blow to the environment, with cuts to crucial environmental water and a delay in plans designed to restore the health of the River” said Senator for SA and Greens Spokesperson for the Murray-Darling, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

The motivations behind the release of a joint report into the Murray-Darling, commissioned by environment-eroding NSW and Victorian Governments, has been questioned by Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for the Environment and Water, Senator Hanson-Young warned that the unprecedented attack on the environmental flows of the Murray-Darling will not go unchecked.

“Threats from NSW and others to cut environmental flows is short-sighted, and only benefits big corporate irrigators. 

Barnaby Joyce and the National Party have unleashed an assault on the Murray River, the environment and South Australia, the Greens say.

Senator for SA and Greens Spokesperson for Water Sarah Hanson-Young said it would be a terrible step to tear up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and cut water to the environment throughout the Basin.

Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for Water and the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young responded to Minister Littleproud’s announcement today relating to the Murray-Darling Basin:

“Any review of the Murray-Darling Basin must be based on science, not politics.

“The review into the management of the Murray-Darling Basin must investigate the corporate greed and corruption that has eroded the effectiveness and delivery of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.

The Morrison Government is making things up as they go along, while the Murray-Darling is in deeper and deeper crisis and communities and the environment are suffering, the Greens say.

Greens Senator for South Australia and Spokesperson for the Environment and Water Sarah Hanson-Young said the Murray-Darling Basin Plan debate is not about farmers versus the environment, it’s big corporates versus everyone else.

The Greens have backed the call by civil society organisations today for the Morrison Government to drop their plans to outlaw environmental and consumer boycotts.

Their call follows the PM’s announcement to the coal lobby last month that he would introduce new laws crack down on environmental boycott campaigns.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the PM’s plan was an attack on basic democratic rights.