The National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) has questioned the Commonwealth Government’s ability to assess the environmental impact statement for the Snowy 2.0 Main Works in the wake of a damning report by the Auditor General on the administration of national environmental laws.
NPA Executive Officer Gary Dunnett today stated: ‘The Minister for Environment, Sussan Ley, is supposed to be conducting an objective assessment of the Snowy 2.0 proposal under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, while Prime Minister Scott Morrison is already spruiking the project as a done deal. How can we have any confidence in the Commonwealth’s ability to follow their own environmental laws?’
‘Snowy 2.0 will have devastating environmental impacts on Kosciuszko National Park, the health of the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Snowy Rivers, and push up greenhouse gas emissions. Never before has the role of the Environment Minister as the protector of places of National Environmental Significance been more important.’
‘The Auditor General’s exposure of glaring inadequacies in the assessment of projects under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act has shown just how deeply flawed our national environment law is’ concluded Mr Dunnett.
Australia needs to start investing in jobs that maintain, protect and restore the environmental assets that support our lives, not sacrifice those assets for short term construction jobs that will leave a swath of permanent destruction. Minister Ley must refuse approval for Snowy 2.0.
ENDS.
Media Contact: Gary Dunnett, NPA Executive Officer (02) 9299 0000