Labor will protect Australia’s parks

Labor won’t let the Abbott-Turnbull government continue with its undermining of protection measures of Australia’s environment, and in government would legislate to include a national parks trigger in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act to ensure any proposed developments in a park would be subject to the EPBC approval process.

Labor’s creation of a national park trigger under the EPBC Act will ensure Australia’s precious parks stay pristine, while also ensuring investment projects that deliver jobs and prosperity to rural and regional communities happen in a sustainable and carefully managed way.

Shadow environment, climate change and water minister Mark Butler said the policy would ensure any development within a national park (including marine parks) will be subject to an assessment by the Department of Environment and approval from the minister.

“Labor has a strong record of protecting Australia’s environment.”

“Through this process, any possible risks to national parks will be identified and the minister will then have the power to impose specific conditions on projects to ensure the park is protected,” Butler said.

“Labor has a strong record of protecting Australia’s environment and that extends to our oceans.

“The Whitlam government established the nation’s first marine park to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

“The former Labor government established Australia’s marine park network: the largest network of marine protected areas anywhere in the world at the time.

“Unfortunately, the Liberals set aside the management plans for the Commonwealth marine parks so that they could conduct a review — a review Labor had already done.

“Labor has already announced we will reinstate the network,” he said.

“Labor understands the importance of protecting our environment.”

Labor’s candidate for Chisholm, Stefanie Perri said the network would help to ensure Australia’s diverse marine environment and the life it supports remain healthy, productive and resilient for future generations.

“It is Liberal government policy to hand federal environmental approval powers over to the states for major project approvals, including in our national parks,” Perri said.

“Labor understands the importance of protecting our environment, especially our national parks, for current and future generations,” she added.

This article originally appeared in the Labor Herald.