Right now in the parliament of my home state of New South Wales sits a bill that would devastate national parks. The New South Wales government is proposing to raise the Warragamba Dam wall by 14 metres, which would inundate up to 4,700 hectares of national parks and 65 kilometres of wild rivers. This will cause irreversible damage to the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. At least 25 threatened species are known or are likely to occur within the area that is at risk of inundation.

Leigh Creek is facing an environmental and public health disaster following an irresponsible State Liberal Government decision to allow dangerous underground coal gasification to go ahead in the north of South Australia.

The Australian Greens today announced portfolio allocations for their Senators and MPs ahead of the upcoming Federal Election.

Australian Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale said a reallocation had occurred as a result of Mehreen Faruqi’s arrival in the Senate yesterday and Larissa Water’s imminent return.

“We’ve got to hold the big parties to account – and the Australian Greens Senate team will fight for the causes that matter to our community,” Dr Di Natale said.

“This new allocation of portfolios will make the most of each of our Senator’s strengths and passions."

Good evening. Assalamoalikum. We are gathered here today on stolen land. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. We must recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. All Australians, whether they were born here or have come from somewhere else, have an obligation to remember: this land always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

The Greens have a plan to protect takayna/the Tarkine in a National Park that is owned and run by Aboriginal Tasmanians.

Greens candidate for Braddon Jarrod Edwards said takayna is a place of incredible importance to Tasmanian Aboriginal people and indeed all people who visit it.

“As custodians of this land we encourage sustainable and well balanced management and use of our home lands so that future generations can enjoy and learn from them as we continue to do,” Mr Edwards said.

The Senate has called on the Environment Minister to do the job the community expects him to and actually protect the environment, says Queensland Greens Senator and spokesperson for the environment Andrew Bartlett.

The Senate passed Senator Bartlett’s motion demanding the Environment Minister protect the Great Barrier Reef by controlling land clearing in catchment areas.

"Large-scale clearing in the catchment areas of the Reef results in increased runoff, damaging coral and encouraging invasive species like the Crown of Thorns starfish.

Comments from Labor and Liberal candidates for Braddon about takayna show how ignorant the old parties are about the values of the area.

“The Tarkine/takayna is a rich and wonderful part of the world with unique Aboriginal cultural heritage and spectacular wilderness. It should be protected as a National Park,” Greens Senator for Tasmania Nick McKim said.

“Neither Mr Whiteley nor Ms Keay understand the true value of the area and the threats it is facing.”

The stranglehold fossil fuel companies have over our political system is slowly killing off the Great Barrier Reef, says Queensland Greens Senator Andrew Bartlett.

Another study published today in Nature shows the Reef has been transformed by back to back mass bleaching.

“The Coalition government’s obsession with burning coal makes no sense until you consider the millions of dollars pumped into the Liberal and National parties by the fossil fuel industry.

“Burning fossil fuels impact lives and livelihoods.