25/8/2021
Both the Morrison and Berijiklian Governments are too divided to deliver a workable solution for Kosciuszko National Park.
The NSW Shadow Minister Penny Sharpe has called on the NSW Government to ensure that adequate planning can be undertaken with conservation at the centre of considerations about how the iconic alpine park should be managed for the next 40 years.
NSW Labor has also called for the extension of the consultation period for the Kosciuszko National Park Plan of Management to October to allow for input from the local community.
Federal Labor believes that the environmental and species management should draw on the best available science, and that affected communities voices are heard.
Our national parks must be appropriately protected so that our iconic biodiversity can thrive for generations to come.
I note that in government, Federal Labor listed feral horses as a Key Threatening Process under the EPBC Act. The Federal Liberal and National Government have since failed to create an associated threat abatement plan.
Labor has a proud history of protecting the environment. Labor’s legacy in government is that we protected the Daintree, Kakadu, the Great Barrier Reef, the Franklin and Antarctica. We created Landcare, and we created the largest network of marine parks in the world.
We know Australia’s environment is in crisis, but the Liberals and Nationals don’t have a plan to fix it.
Instead, we have seen cuts, delays, waste and a woeful record on environmental protection from this tired eight-year-old government.
The Liberals and Nationals have cut the environment department by 40 per cent and Australia is paying the price.
Labor has called on the Morrison Government to:
- Introduce strong national environmental protections to address the overall state of decline and the state of increasing threats to the environment.
- Establish a tough cop on the beat for our environment to help restore trust.
- Support efficient and effective decision-making under the EPBC Act to avoid unnecessary delays to jobs and investment.
As you know, Labor is not in government. We will continue to hold the Morrison Government to account on their horrendous record on the environment.
If you want to add your voice, I encourage you to write directly to the responsible Ministers about your concerns. They can be reached at:
The Hon Sussan Ley MP
Minister for the Environment
PO Box 2600
CANBERRA ACT 2600
The Hon Matt Kean MP
Minister for the Energy and Environment
Suite 5, The Madison,
25-29 Hunter Street,
HORNSBY NSW 2077
