Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader
The Prime Minister’s announcement today delivers not a single dollar towards Tasmania’s social and economic recovery. It was a massive balloon full of hot air on infrastructure, with a dodgy promise to gut environmental assessments to speed up major infrastructure projects across the country.
While his State colleagues are backing in a massive spend on a housing led recovery, the Prime Minister is promising nothing to Tasmania, but a few roads and fast-track for a project that is far from a reality. Big deal, Prime Minister.
If he was serious about Marinus Link, Scott Morrison would have announced funding for it.
Make no mistake, the PM’s $72 billion worth of hot air contains a devastating message for all Tasmanian and Australian wildlife – move aside, you are no longer important to us. The intention is that a Marinus Link, or any other similar major project for Tasmania in the future, would not get separate, rigorous federal and state environmental assessment.
Rosalie Woodruff MP | Greens Energy spokesperson
The PM’s posturing “adventure of growth“ speech reveals his government’s long-standing commitment to intervening in environmental assessments to push through major fossil fuel and mining developments - despite the world being in the grips of a serious climate emergency.
The Prime Minister’s announcement effectively hijacks the ‘independent’ review of the EPBC Act, by revealing there will be a “single touch approval process” in place of existing state and federal assessments.
With the recent devastating loss of animals and plants across the country, we must strengthen the laws that protect nature and the community’s right to have a say on developments.
Today’s announcement is a retrograde response to the climate emergency.
Large-scale multi-billion, multi-decadal infrastructure projects need more, rather than less, attention to details. Fast-tracking projects to avoid assessing impacts on nature and communities can never underpin a truly renewable future.