He has accused the Liberal party of copying Labor’s policy; well, imitation is unflattering when your work was informed by corporate rather than the public interest, like when an industry report alleging project delays seems to have kick-started this whole saga.
Even if there were numerous projects stuck in the approvals system, the environmental assessment process is vital. When done properly, good projects can go ahead, bad projects can be amended or stopped, and WA’s precious natural environment can be protected.
“If there is a need for assessments to be conducted more quickly, then the EPA should be better resourced, not undermined.”
But in fact, the EPA chair revealed last week there are only 23 projects that have been with the EPA for longer than four years. Seventeen of them are delayed at the proponent’s end and one is being finalised this month, leaving just five which are continuing to be fully assessed because of their multiple potential impacts on WA’s environment. If there is a need for assessments to be conducted more quickly, then the EPA should be better resourced, not undermined.
And if there are projects collectively worth billions of dollars waiting for their environmental assessments, West Australians should be asking – worth billions to whom? Certainly not the average West Australian – 90 per cent of the gas produced here is shipped offshore and research shows the state’s gas industry pays less in royalties than WA drivers pay in rego.
Ms Mettam said last week that we need policy that is sustainable and pragmatic, not driven by ideology. I completely agree.
But that is exactly why these reforms cannot be waved through. Our nature laws are there to protect the places we love: our native forests, Ningaloo, the Beeliar Wetlands, the Martuwarra/Fitzroy River. To West Australians, protecting these incredible places has become part of our cultural identity.
It is shocking that this unfounded attack on the EPA is happening even while our forests are collapsing and native animal populations are being devastated by heatwaves and drought.
Clearly our thin green line should be stronger than ever, to protect the rights of current and future West Australians to a healthy environment.
We call on the government and the opposition to remember that it is in our nature as West Australians to protect the places we love.
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It is critical that we protect WA’s environment from rampant fossil fuel expansion and stand together as West Australians to defend our thin green line.
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