The Greens have outlined a plan to save the Tasmanian devil and called on the Liberals and Labor to adopt the comprehensive measures required to protect this iconic species. 

Federal funding has been critical to the Tasmanian devil’s survival, but this ended in 2017 despite their recovery from the infectious cancer that decimated their population being far from over.

The Greens say confirmation in the Reef Snapshot:  Summer 2021-22 of the sixth mass coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef lays bare the Morrison Government’s near-decade of failure on climate action.  

The Snapshot confirms the Reef has suffered the fourth mass bleaching event since 2016, and the first in La Nina conditions, with 91% of surveyed areas showing signs of bleaching.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters:

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese’s promise to deliver South Australia’s fair share of water under the Murray Darling Basin Plan is welcomed, however will only be delivered if buybacks are restored, the Greens have said today.

This scheme is critical to restoring water flows to the river and delivering 450GL to South Australia, and the Greens will be needed in the Senate to secure it.

The Morrison Government’s new Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Market Bill looks set to fail Australia’s environment despite promises to help ecosystem restoration, the Australian Greens have said today.

The Greens will refer the bill to a Senate inquiry for review and have called on the Labor Party to back an inquiry, before voting on the bill.

Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for the environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

The Auditor General’s report into threatened species paints a bleak picture for the survival of Australia’s koalas and wildlife, the Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said today.

“The report by the Auditor General into the management of Australia’s threatened species and wildlife is a damning assessment of the Morrison Government’s treatment of our environment and native animals. 

The Government's announcement of $483m to fund the Urannah Dam, in close proximity to numerous existing and planned mining projects, is an undisguised investment in the expansion of the coal industry. 

The dam, in Joyce's own words, will provide water security for the nearby coal mining industry to grow into the future - even at a time when we need to urgently reduce emissions to avoid the impacts of climate change that parts of our country are currently experiencing. 

The Greens environment and water spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said:

The Government's announcement of a $128.5M environmental reform package is a blatant attempt to bypass environment protections and fast track mining project approvals.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Morrison Government’s announcement is a blatant attack on our environment and wildlife. This is all about putting the profits of big mining companies and greedy developers ahead of our environment and communities, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to greenlight projects that will destroy our environment and make the climate crisis worse.

Today in Cairns the Greens have announced a more than $2 billion plan to save the Great Barrier Reef and the workers who rely upon it for their livelihood, as the Reef remains at serious risk from the effects of climate change and poor water quality.

Last year the Reef narrowly avoided a World Heritage Committee “In Danger” listing after cynical lobbying by a Morrison Government desperate to avoid another PR disaster, but Australia was given just one year to pull up its socks on Reef protection.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

"Today's announcement that koalas are endangered is a national shame. The Morrison Government has repeatedly ignored the warnings of experts that koalas were at risk. Now they could go extinct on their watch"

"It's now official, unless we take urgent action to protect koalas, they will be extinct. 

Lines attributable to Queensland Senator Larissa Waters:

“A belated cash splash on the Great Barrier Reef is a joke from a government that has turbo charged the climate crisis imperilling the Reef by giving billions to fossil fuels and backing new coal and gas. 
 
“Climate policy is the most important factor in saving the Reef and the government’s policy is crap.