"The Minister for the Environment's bill to emasculate key safeguards in the Environment, Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) is to be fast tracked. And this nation's environment laws will continue to totally ignore climate change," Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.  
"The EPBC amendment bill ignores calls to include a trigger for greenhouse gas emissions, a requirement that the minister vet proposals which may accelerate global warming," Senator Brown said.
 
"But today, the Minister moved to fast-track the bill in 2 weeks' time."
 
"The 414 page bill undermines the EPBC in many ways. For example, section 185 removes the Minister's need to assess 500 rare or endangered ecological species for federal protection. The bill also effectively removes the citizen's right to challenge environmental destruction in the courts by requiring up-front indemnity to developers. The bill would have prevented my federal challenge to Forestry Tasmania's logging of nationally endangered species' habitat at Wielangta in Tasmania," Senator Brown said.
 
"The Federal Government has intervened in the case, to back the loggers. Even before judgement, expected later this year, the Minister against the Environment is changing the law to block any future similar move to protect Australia's rarest wild animals, birds or plants," Senator Brown said.
 
"The Minister doesn't do his job. Now he is legislating to block other citizens from doing his job too," Senator Brown said.
 
Further information: Ebony Bennett 0409 164 603