The Australia Institute analysis released today showing the Federal Government paid exorbitant prices for water rights to a company linked to Minister Angus Taylor is further evidence of the need for a Royal Commission into the Murray

Chair of the Senate's Environment Committee Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has announced today she will move for the Faunal Extinction Inquiry to examine the impact of the catastrophic fires across the country on endangered wildlife and flora.

Senator Hanson-Young said the already-established Inquiry gave the Parliament an opportunity to immediately get on with what needs to be done to protect our native fauna and flora in the wake of the fires.

Reports today of another mass fish kill in NSW caused by ash and sediment from bushfires running into the Macleay River, is the disaster experts had been warning about and needs an urgent response from water ministers, the Greens say. 

Greens Spokesperson for Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“I wrote to state and federal Water and Environment Ministers yesterday urging them to meet as a matter of urgency to coordinate a joint effort across fire-affected states to ensure safe, clean water supply.

The Federal Government’s announcement of $50million to wildlife affected by the bushfire crisis is nowhere near enough and should be at least ten times as much, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said with more than a billion native animals reportedly impacted and killed in the catastrophic fires across the country and millions of hectares of habitat burnt, $50million won’t go far.

“When Celeste Barber can raise as much money as the Federal Government has committed to this tragedy, it shows their heart’s not in it,” she said.

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.