Antinuclear

Australian government’s strange delay on environmental laws

”It is curious the government will take longer to respond to the review than it took a team of experts to investigate and write it.”..

Environment laws on hold, The Age Tom Arup, 1April 26, 2011, THE government will wait at least two years until it responds to a comprehensive review recommending a shake-up of national environment laws.

The two-year wait has been questioned by the review’s spearhead, Allan Hawke, who calls the decision ”curious”.

Under the laws the federal environment minister can approve or reject major industrial projects such as pulp mills and mines based on their impact on endangered species and other threatened environment.

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The Hawke Review recommended the laws be significantly strengthened to give them greater environmental teeth while making them easier for business to navigate. The report was first delivered to then environment minister Peter Garrett in October 2009.

But current Environment Minister Tony Burke said the government did not expect to legislate any changes to the laws – known as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – until 2012…… Dr Hawke, formerly secretary of the Defence Department and chancellor of ANU, said: ”It is curious the government will take longer to respond to the review than it took a team of experts to investigate and write it.”..
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/environment-laws-on-hold-20110425-1du4r.html#ixzz1KqdcFv6k

April 28, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, environment