The Greens have backed the calls by some of Australia’s biggest environmental organisations to extend the timeframe for the review of Australia’s environmental laws.
Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said with the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) only occurring every 10 years, it was important to make sure consultation and deliberation was adequate.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has welcomed the announcement she is continuing as spokesperson for Environment and Water, and Media and Communications, and adding Tourism and Dental Health to her portfolio responsibilities under the new leadership of Adam Bandt MP.

“This year will be defining for our environment. We are experiencing environmental collapse in the face of a climate crisis and the people in charge are riddled with division and have no plan. There’s a lot of work to do,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

The Liberals, Nationals, Labor and One Nation have refused to support the Greens call for the NSW Government to reinstate the moratorium on floodplain harvesting and water pumping.

Greens Spokesperson for Water Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Federal Parliament could not wipe it’s hands of this issue.

"The New South Wales Government has selfishly lifted its moratorium on floodplain harvesting and water pumping, jeopardising the entire Murray-Darling River system," Senator Hanson-Young said.

Senator for South Australia and Greens Environment Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“This is a huge win for the community, the environment and SA’s tourism and fishing industries. It is good for the planet and jobs.  

“The community who cherish our pristine coastline, the tourism industry that depends on it, and the fishing industry that relies on clean waters have all fought so hard against these environment-destroying plans. Congratulations goes to them.

Debate commenced in the Senate today on the Greens ‘Climate Trigger’ Bill which would require climate impacts and carbon emissions to be assessed before large-scale projects are given environmental approval.

The Bill will now go to the Senate Environment and Communications Committee for consideration through public hearings and written submissions.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who introduced the Bill, said:

The Greens will refer the Environment Restoration Fund and the Communities Environment Program to the Auditor General for investigation, after The Saturday Paper reported today the $100m grants were used by the Coalition for pork-barrelling.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Government's use of the funding looks and stinks like 'sports rorts'.

"A $100m grants program for environment restoration projects has reportedly been restricted to 25 preselected projects, most of them in key seats for the Coalition," she said.

New laws that would require climate impacts and carbon emissions to be assessed before large-scale projects are given environmental approval have been introduced into the Senate today.

The ‘Climate Trigger’ Bill would ensure mining, drilling and large-scale land clearing projects would need to be assessed on whether they make climate change worse.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who introduced the Bill said a federal climate trigger was long overdue.

The Australian Greens have slammed Scott Morrison's cabinet reshuffle, which further cements the climate denialism of this government.

Australian Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:

"Moving Keith Pitt, a nuke-loving climate denier, back onto the front bench makes the intentions of this government even clearer.

"We are in a climate emergency but this Prime Minister shamefully thinks it's appropriate to put on the frontbench a man who previously quit cabinet over opposition to the Paris Agreement.

Reports of a mass koala massacre in Victoria by a private logging company require an urgent independent investigation, the Greens say.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she had written to the Victorian and Federal Environment Ministers asking them to investigate and explain the gruesome footage that had emerged showing hundreds of koalas bulldozed to their deaths at a bluegum plantation.

The Greens have backed the community groups taking legal action to challenge the government regulator’s (NOPSEMA) initial approval of Norwegian oil giant Equinor’s plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight.

Senator for South Australia and Greens Environment Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the environmental approval announcement last month was a devastating outcome for the tens of thousands of Australians deeply opposed to the project.