Australian News – Page 26

‘Critically Endangered’ listing must be a turning point to save our River Murray

Today’s announcement that the Lower Murray, including the Coorong and Lower Lakes, will finally be listed as ‘critically endangered’ under Australia’s environment laws is welcome, but long overdue. This critically endangered listing must now drive urgent, practical action to restore the Coorong and Lower Lakes, prioritise the delivery of the promised environmental water, and uphold First Nations cultural and spiritual connections.

Senator for SA and Greens spokesperson for the environment and water, Sarah Hanson-Young:

“Decades of over extraction and corporate greed have left South Australia’s River Murray in peril. This listing must be a turning point.

“The listing is long overdue and enormously significant, but with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan due to expire, the new plan must urgently address the critically endangered Lower Murray and Coorong.

“For years, South Australians, First Nations communities, scientists and river communities have been warning that the Murray and the Coorong are being bled dry by upstream over-extraction, corporate greed, and the growing impacts of climate change.

“This listing should mean tougher scrutiny on new irrigation and industrial developments, stronger protections for our waterways and threatened species, and an end to upstream decisions that starve the Coorong and Lower Lakes of the fresh water they need to survive.

“To ensure the health of the river, the full 450 gigalitres that has been promised to South Australia in environmental water must be delivered.

Greens condemn reported attack on Islamic leader, say urgent and comprehensive action needed to stamp out anti-Muslim hate

The Victorian Greens are shocked and appalled by reports that an Islamic community leader has been assaulted and racially abused after he and his wife were allegedly forced off the road by perpetrators in Dandenong South.

The reported attack comes amid a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim hate and racially motivated violence across Victoria, with community leaders warning that these incidents are becoming more frequent, more visible and more dangerous.

The Victorian Greens spokesperson for Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism, Anasina Gray-Barberio, has unequivocally condemned the alleged attack and said urgent action is needed to address the rise of racially motivated hate crimes across the state.

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism, Anasina Gray Barberio:

“Reports that an Islamic community leader and his wife were attacked and driven off the road are shocking and deeply disturbing.

“This was not an isolated incident. Anti-Muslim hate is rising, driven by white supremacist and far-right extremists who are becoming more emboldened, more organised and more violent. This kind of hatred festers in silence and inaction where it turns into violence and it cannot be ignored.

“These targeted and disproportionate acts of violence on Muslim-Australians demand more than hollow words, we need urgent and comprehensive action from this Labor Government, so all Victorians are safe, irrespective of their faith, creed or background.”

Apartment renters being smashed as Labor leaves rent increases uncapped

The Victorian Greens say that new data revealing that Melbourne unit rents have hit an all time high is more proof that Labor’s screwing renters by refusing to implement rent controls.

With unit rents now sitting at $580 a week, matching house rents for the first time in more than a decade, apartment renters are being forced to pay more for smaller homes with less security, in what’s been labelled a blatant ‘landlord’s market’.

It comes as Melbourne’s rental vacancy remains below 2% leaving renters competing in overcrowded inspections and forced to accept homes that don’t meet their needs and in unfair power dynamics with landlords that leave them paralysed to assert their basic rights out of fear of a massive rent increase.

Without rent controls, the Greens warn the rental crisis will continue to worsen in Victoria. The ACT remains the only jurisdiction in the country where rental affordability is improving, after rent controls were introduced with the Greens in shared government.

The Victorian Greens spokesperson for Housing and Renting, Gabrielle de Vietri said that apartment rents spiralling is not accidental and that Labor’s special treatment for property developers and investors is why they’ve not intervened while the rental crisis has worsened.

Victorian Greens spokesperson for Housing and Renting, Gabrielle de Vietri:

“Labor’s chosen to screw over renters to give special treatment to property developers and investors. Make no mistake, if it’s a landlords market, it’s because Labor’s chosen it to be that way.

“Four out of five renters in Victoria have copped an unaffordable rent increase in the past two years. Labor has watched and done nothing to make renting more affordable.

“The ACT has shown that rent controls work. It’s the only place where rental affordability is improving. We did it there, and there is no reason Victoria can’t do it too.”

Statement on Proposed National Security Legislation

The Opposition was not provided with the legislation prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement. Later today, we will be given the opportunity to review it and will do so carefully.

We are deeply sceptical of the Prime Minister’s decision to introduce a single bill that will attempt to cover multiple complex and unrelated policy areas, for example issues of speech are clearly separate from the ownership and management of firearms.

As is so often the case with this Prime Minister, he is squarely focused on what he perceives to be his political interests, not the national interest. This is a political decision, aimed at fostering division – not creating unity.

Just days ago, the Prime Minister was dragged kicking and screaming to a Commonwealth Royal Commission, which is why Australians are right to be cautious when he preaches cooperation but does not practice it.

New Year, Same Reason to Extend the ACT’s Waste-to-Energy Ban

Following ongoing heatwaves and ongoing high fire risks, the ACT Greens are pushing for the ACT Government to renew their now lapsed policy to ban waste-to energy incinerators.

ACT Greens Deputy Leader Jo Clay says that there is no social license for waste-to-energy incinerator projects in the region.

“Right now we are seeing the real impact of climate disasters: destruction, disconnection and lives lost. We cannot afford for governments to stall on climate action – and that includes a long-lasting ban on waste-to-energy,” Ms Clay said.

“Following the NSW Government’s proposal for a waste-to-energy incinerator in Tarago, people in Canberra, and the Queanbeyan and Goulburn regions have contacted the Greens concerned about the impact it will have on our region.

“Waste-to-energy produces harmful byproducts and pollutants like heavy metals, toxic air pollutants, bottom ash, furans and dioxins. It poses many risks for people, nature, our waterways, agriculture and our climate.

“Burning waste for energy creates greenhouse gas emissions and is not a sustainable or efficient source of energy.

“The ACT’s Waste-to-energy Policy 2020-25 prohibits thermal waste-to-energy including incineration, gasification and pyrolysis. It’s time for Labor to put the conversation to rest and extend the ban indefinitely.

“Canberrans have a right to a healthy environment. They have a right to know the ACT Government will continue to prohibit harmful and polluting waste-to-energy incinerator projects.

“Considering the ACT is powered by 100% renewable electricity and is phasing out fossil fuel gas, there is no reason for the Government to delay renewing the ban.”

Ms Clay also urges the ACT Government to immediately progress establishing a circular economy in Canberra to manage waste without harming people and planet.

“Waste-to-energy disincentivises our moves towards a circular economy. It can also promote more waste generation than ever before.

“In the ACT, we have a resource recovery target of 90%. But our actual resource recovery has dropped to only 65%. We need the government to do more – to put policies in place that reduce waste production and create a lifecycle solution for waste we generate.

“We need local recycling facilities that can process household waste so there’s no need to burn it – like soft plastics.

“Instead, the ACT Labor Government sits back and waits for a federal scheme to manage soft plastics, even though it’s taken decades to progress.

“Governments at all levels must work with industry to design out waste and stop the problem at its source.

“If we don’t move towards a circular economy, we will see more waste in landfill and more harmful solutions for waste management like waste-to-energy projects.”

Chair of Toxics Free Australia, Jane Bremmer:

“The ACT has been a leader and a beacon of light in safeguarding a sustainable zero waste policy for a true Circular Economy in Australia.

“Burning our waste makes no sense when it is the most expensive and polluting way to make energy or manage what should be the smallest fraction of our waste stream – residual waste.

“Waste incineration threatens the urgent, global transition to clean renewable energy, emitting more carbon pollution than coal and gas per unit of energy, supports and vindicates the existing policy position of the ACT Government and the ACT Greens’ leadership.

“Advanced Waste Sorting Technologies coupled with non- combustion residual waste technologies can deliver the sustainable, climate friendly, cheaper and more secure, waste management framework that Australia needs and with 200 times more jobs.

“While the waste incineration industry currently has no social license to operate in Australia and with the EU turning away from this technology, the ACT should continue to uphold its ban for the protection of future generations.”

Premier Malinauskas must apologise to save the Adelaide Festival

acting leader of the Australian Greens and Arts spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

“The cancellation of the beloved Adelaide Writer’s Week is a dark day for the arts in South Australia and now the future of the Adelaide Festival as whole hangs in the balance.

“Premier Peter Malinauskas must apologise for his intervention which has helped lead to this fiasco.

“Writer’s Week has been cancelled and the whole of the Adelaide Festival Board has now resigned, this is a complete mess that could have been avoided had there not been undue political influence exerted on the board.

“This is a devastating outcome for the authors and audiences who love Writer’s Week. As we face major challenges in the world it is important that we have spaces like Writer’s Week where people can come together to discuss ideas and disagree in a civil manner.

“Premier Peter Malinauskas’ political meddling has destroyed Writer’s Week and now risks derailing the whole of the Adelaide Festival. It is up to the Premier to fix this mess before the Adelaide Festival collapses and South Australia loses thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in economic activity.

“As Louise Adler has warned, Writer’s Week is the canary in the coalmine. It’s now up to all of us to fight for artistic freedom and resist the censorship of our artistic institutions.”

Greens call on SA Premier to fix festival mess

acting leader of the Australian Greens and Arts spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

“Premier Peter Malinauskas has created an enormous mess by putting political pressure on the Adelaide Festival Board. Now he needs to take responsibility and clean it up to save our festival and our state’s reputation.

“Adelaide’s arts and festival brand is in tatters. With half the board, including the Chair, resigning it’s not just Adelaide Writers Week that’s at risk, but the entire Adelaide Festival.

“The Adelaide Festival is now on the brink of collapse and the Government needs to act urgently.

“Premier Peter Malinauskas must change course to stem the collapse of this beloved arts institution, and that must start with reinstating author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah.

“Whether it is direct or indirect, there is no doubt political pressure has plunged the broader Adelaide Festival into crisis. And we need leadership now to save it.

“This will cost our state thousands of jobs, millions of dollars and unimaginable reputational damage.

“Without proper leadership from the SA Government, South Australia’s brand as the arts and festival state is at risk.

“What would Don Dunstan say? What would he say, to see South Australia’s arts community and reputation torn down by such political cowardice and shortsightedness?”

Greens Senator for South Australia, Barbara Pocock:

“The collective public outrage and boycotting of the festival over the cancellation of Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah speaks volumes. This decision risks our reputation as a place of art, courage and challenge.

“This appalling decision by the Adelaide Festival Board, backed by the Premier, must be reversed. The Premier has questions to answer. What role did he play in undermining the independence of this significant event?”