The Morrison Government’s new Agriculture Biodiversity Stewardship Market Bill looks set to fail Australia’s environment despite promises to help ecosystem restoration, the Australian Greens have said today.

The Greens will refer the bill to a Senate inquiry for review and have called on the Labor Party to back an inquiry, before voting on the bill.

Quotes attributable to Greens spokesperson for the environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young:

The Greens say shocking new data from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority confirming mass coral bleaching shows the Reef in startling decline, and lays bare the Morrison Government’s near-decade of failure on climate action.

Data released today confirms the Reef has suffered the fourth mass bleaching event since 2016 and despite La Nina conditions.

Lines attributable to Greens deputy leader and Queensland Senator Larissa Waters:

With a likely sixth mass bleaching event now unfolding across the Great Barrier Reef, the Greens have called on the Morrison Government to cooperate fully and transparently with UNESCO’s 10-day monitoring mission, which begins next Monday.

The Auditor General’s report into threatened species paints a bleak picture for the survival of Australia’s koalas and wildlife, the Greens Environment Spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has said today.

“The report by the Auditor General into the management of Australia’s threatened species and wildlife is a damning assessment of the Morrison Government’s treatment of our environment and native animals. 

The Government's announcement of $483m to fund the Urannah Dam, in close proximity to numerous existing and planned mining projects, is an undisguised investment in the expansion of the coal industry. 

The dam, in Joyce's own words, will provide water security for the nearby coal mining industry to grow into the future - even at a time when we need to urgently reduce emissions to avoid the impacts of climate change that parts of our country are currently experiencing. 

The Greens environment and water spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said:

The Government's announcement of a $128.5M environmental reform package is a blatant attempt to bypass environment protections and fast track mining project approvals.

Greens Environment Spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said:

“The Morrison Government’s announcement is a blatant attack on our environment and wildlife. This is all about putting the profits of big mining companies and greedy developers ahead of our environment and communities, spending hundreds of millions of dollars to greenlight projects that will destroy our environment and make the climate crisis worse.

Extract of Dorinda Cox at Swan City Council Meeting (02-Mar-2022)

I am here this evening to read an extract from a personal statement written this week by 3 of the 7 Whadjuk people involved in the consultation that led to the bridge’s section 18 approval.

They have asked me for my help in giving them a voice. These are their words and their truth of this bridge.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

"Today's announcement that koalas are endangered is a national shame. The Morrison Government has repeatedly ignored the warnings of experts that koalas were at risk. Now they could go extinct on their watch"

"It's now official, unless we take urgent action to protect koalas, they will be extinct. 

A new report from the Australian Conservation Foundation released today shows that despite the koala being listed as vulnerable, the Morrison Government has approved 63 projects that have cleared 25,000 hectares of koala habitat over the last 10 years.

Greens Spokesperson for the Environment, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:

"Unless we take urgent action to protect koalas, they will be extinct in parts of Australia by 2050. 

Scott Morrison has been caught lying in his speech to world leaders at Glasgow, deliberately misrepresenting Australia’s climate targets in his major official engagement at the climate summit.