Legislation tabled in the NSW Parliament last night effectively tears up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan leaving the environment and downstream communities high and dry, the Greens say.

“NSW has been waiting for an excuse to get out of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan and they’ve found one,” Greens Spokesperson for Water and the Environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“The Nationals are exploiting the drought crisis to blow the Plan up.

The Federal Government has today refused to rule out the privatisation of National Parks for high-end resorts, again putting the interests of their rich mates ahead of everyday Australians and the environment, the Greens say.

“Today I called on the Government to honour the century old Australian ethos that National Parks should be for the people and not for private high end resorts which exclude ordinary Australians and devalue prime park qualities, and they refused,” Greens spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Senate has today passed a Greens’ motion calling on the Federal Government to rule out giving any public funding to dam and water infrastructure projects that circumvent environmental assessment and don’t abide by proper environmental protections.

The motion moved by Greens Spokesperson for Water and the Environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, was in response to the NSW Government’s plans to water down environmental rules to fast-track approvals for new dams and pipelines.

The Government’s “native fish plan” is akin to shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said: “Our nation’s biggest river system is in environmental collapse and farming communities are suffering because the Government has mismanaged the Basin and let greedy corporate irrigators to take too much water.

“The Water Minister’s claim the Government is “doing all (they) can until it rains” is simply false.

“Praying for rain is not a drought policy or a plan to save the River.

Research released today by The Australia Institute showing taxpayers are funding private dams for big business, further proves corporate corruption is killing the Murray Darling Basin and inflicting further suffering on farming communities, the Greens say.

“Corporate irrigators are ripping off the River, ripping off their neighbours and ripping off the taxpayer,” Greens Spokesperson for Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

The Federal Environment Minister has again delayed the assessment of flora and fauna species’ threat status in a move that could determine the survival of these species, including the Australian Sea Lion, the Greens say.

The Environment Department’s website was quietly updated this week to show Minister Sussan Ley has granted extensions to 36 species currently being assessed for listing under the EPBC Act.

The South Australian Government has ignored the most damning elements of the Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission in its response finally released yesterday, the Greens say.

“After nine months, the South Australian Government’s response to the SA Royal Commission is a complete cop-out,” Greens Spokesperson for Water and Senator for SA, Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“This response from the SA Water Minister says very little and shows a complete disregard for the scientific warnings over the health of the River.

The Government has again failed family farms and River communities by opposing a bill to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the Murray-Darling Basin, the Greens say.

The majority report of the Government-led Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee tabled today, claims a Commission of Inquiry would cover little new ground despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

David Littleproud is a climate change denier and is not fit to serve as minister for water resources, drought, natural disaster and emergency management. He must resign as minister and, if he will not, then the Prime Minister must intervene and remove him, said Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale.