Scientists fear Coalition push to deregulate environmental approvals will lead to extinction crisis
Scott Morrisons announcement in wake of bushfires is distressing and puts threatened species at risk, ecologists say
Scientists have expressed dismay and frustration at Scott Morrisons latest push to deregulate the environmental approval process for major developments, noting it comes just months after an unprecedented bushfire crisis and during a review of national conservation laws.
In a speech on Monday, the prime minister said he wanted to slash approval times for major projects by moving to a streamlined single touch system for state and federal environmental assessments.
Morrison said the change would be informed by the review of Australias environment laws, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, which is under way. But his speech did not mention the environment or the acts objectives to protect threatened species and ecosystems.
Its distressing, said Ayesha Tulloch, a research fellow at the University of Sydney and vice-president of the Ecological Society of Australia.
Its an act which has the word environment in it and yet the conversations we have about it dont even mention it. Even that term, green tape, is perceived as a negative thing rather than something that could promote economic stimulation.
Graeme Samuel, a former competition watchdog chairman, is leading the once-in-a-decade review of the EPBC Act. He is due to hand down an interim report later this month.
Scientists and environmentalists argue the act is failing to prevent an extinction crisis. Just 22 of 6,500 projects referred for approval have been knocked back in the acts 20-year history.
Australia has the worlds highest rate of mammalian extinction. Reporting by Guardian Australia has found the government has failed to implement or track measures for species known to be at risk, stopped listing major threats to species, and not registered a single piece of critical habitat for 15 years.
Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/16/scientists-fear-push-to-deregulate-environmental-approvals-will-lead-to-extinction-crisis
Scientists argue the environmental protection act is failing to prevent an extinction crisis. Just 22 of 6,500 projects referred for approval have been knocked back in the acts 20-year history. Photograph: Evan Quartermain/Humane Society International