John Englart

Halloween Trick or Treat? Climate Advisory group meets with Wills MP Peter Khalil to outline climate priorities.

Members of the Wills Climate and Environment Advisory Group met with Wills Labor MP Peter Khalil on Tuesday 31 October. Several members sat down with him in an hour long meeting outlining what citizens thought should be the priorities to pursue, while three members held signs outside his office and asked passers-by to sign Beetaloo postcards.

The Wills Climate and Advisory Group was promised by Peter after the last election and was established after several prompts, with an initial zoom meeting in late March, then an in person “networking” meeting at the Post Office Hotel on June 23.

The Advisory Group then met in person and also worked online to formulate and prioritise a matrix of climate and environment issues for Peter to take up. October 31 was the first report-back meeting.

The meeting comes at a crucial time with reforms being considered for Federal Environment laws, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). This legislation was passed in 1999, and is well out of date in ensuring environmental outcomes and powers of approval for the Environment Minister.

Federal Labor has so far:

Labor has promised to enhance the Water Trigger component of the legislation which addresses fracking and its enormous use of water resources. This has become an imperative priority to address with Tamboran Resources starting to frack for tight shale gas in the Beetaloo Basin in the Northern territory.

Independant MP Sophie Scamps has a private members bill focussed on enhancing the Water Trigger as a priority. The Beetaloo postcards advocate for an enhanced water trigger.

Reform of the Federal environment laws also needs a climate trigger inserted. Rumours are that such a climate trigger will not be included, despite Anthony Albanese proposing such a trigger in Federal Parliament in 2005. Here is what Environmental Justice Australia says on the need for a climate trigger:

It’s hard to believe, but the current EPBC Act doesn’t specifically deal with climate change. This ambiguity has allowed a staggering 740 fossil fuel projects to be approved since 1999. 

Australia should address the shortcomings in the existing laws that mean the Minister can side-step the climate harm of new coal and gas.  

Minister Plibersek has said the new laws will require companies to include emissions forecasts in their development applications, but she has not endorsed climate reforms.  

While increased transparency about emissions is helpful, it’s not nearly enough. The Minister should be required, by law, to scrutinize climate risk, and have the power to reject projects due to their climate impacts. 

Climate reform – is not a new idea. Way back in 2005, Anthony Albanese, then the shadow environment minister, introduced the Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change (Climate Change Trigger) Bill, but it did not proceed. Let’s get on with it. 

Environmental Justice Australia on EPBC Act reforms

References

EJA, 30 October 2023, What EJA lawyers want to see in Australia’s new environment laws https://envirojustice.org.au/blog/2023/10/30/what-eja-lawyers-want-to-see-in-australias-new-environment-laws/

See also: CAM, 17 October, 2023, Will Labor support Enhancing the Water Trigger in Federal environment laws as an urgent priority? Hint: Closing the loophole was an election promise. https://climateactionmerribek.org/2023/10/17/will-labor-support-enhancing-the-water-trigger-in-federal-environment-laws-as-an-urgent-priority-hint-closing-the-loophole-was-an-election-promise/

For A Albanese 2005 Climate Trigger bill See APH archive: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r2416

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