18th Feb 2021, 12:35 PM – Senate Motions - Environmental Legislation - National standards

The majority voted in favour of clauses (a) and (c) of motion 1009, which means they succeeded. Motions like these don't make any legal changes on their own, but they are politically influential because they represent the will of the Senate.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) Professor Graeme Samuel is an eminent and experienced regulator, and his review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 marks a significant opportunity for reform to protect the environment and create jobs,

(ii) the Morrison Government has completely bungled this opportunity for reform by:

(A) pre-empting the findings of their own independent review,

(B) rehashing Tony Abbott's failed 2014 environment bill, ramming the failed bill through the lower house and gagging debate, and

(C) ignoring and cherry-picking the recommendations from the report, and pursuing second rate so-called standards,

(iii) the Morrison Government was starting from a low base given it has:

(A) slashed 40% from environment department funding, and

(B) presided over an explosion of 510% in job and investment delays through environmental decision blow-outs, and

(iv) Australia's bushfire ravaged natural environment, industry groups, scientists, and communities across the nation have been crying out for measured, durable and effective reform;

(b) [...]; and

(c) calls on the Morrison Government to introduce strong national environmental standards, establish a genuinely independent 'cop on the beat' for Australia's environment and fix the explosion in job and investment delays caused by their massive funding cuts.