Environment report: Tanya Plibersek says Government will respond to grim picture with new legislation

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has described Australia’s environment as a “difficult, confronting and sometimes depressing story” while unleashing on the former government for ignoring “urgent warnings” for a decade.

During a National Press Club address in Canberra on Tuesday, Ms Plibersek announced the Albanese Government will respond to a landmark report into Australia’s environmental laws by the end of the year, and then introduce new legislation in 2023.

She said she was confident Labor could turn around the state of Australia’s environment, after an environmental report card was released on Tuesday — painting a grim picture of a climate in decline.

“If we continue on the trajectory that we are on, the precious places, landscapes, animals and plants that we think of when we think of home may not be here for our kids and grandkids,” Ms Plibersek said.

“The previous government was no friend to the environment. Too many urgent warnings were ignored or kept secret.

“Nevertheless, I am optimistic about the steps that we can take over the next three years. Legislating strong action on climate change is a great start.”

The 2000-page State of the Environment Report reveals at least 19 ecosystems are showing signs of collapse or near collapse.

Australia has lost the most mammals of any continent, with 39 species disappearing since colonisation in 1788.

This represents 38 per cent of the world’s lost mammals.

Land clearing has been listed as a top cause of wildlife losses with 7.7 million hectares cleared across Australia between 2000 and 2017, damaging threatened species habitats.

In some good news, WA’s numbats look to be in recovery — moving from a trajectory of decline in 2005–2015 to a trajectory of increase in 2015–2020.

Ms Plibersek also announced the government will set a target of having 30 per cent of Australia’s land and marine mass as a protected area by the end of the decade.

She said Labor would respond to the national environmental laws, which was delivered under the Morrison government — who she claims ignored Professor Graham Samuel’s warning that the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was “outdated and required fundamental reform”.

“What the environment needs is a changed system. That’s the message from the Samuel review. That’s the message from the State of the Environment report,” she said.

“Without structural change we’ll be resigning ourselves to another decade of failure without the tools we need to arrest our decline.”

The Environment Minister slammed her former counterpart Sussan Ley for sitting on the document since late last year and not releasing it before the Federal election.

Shadow Environment Minister Jonathon Duniam hit back, saying Ms Plibersek used the report as a “prop for her attacks” and that she needed “to get on with the job”.

“Australians are looking for practical measures and sensible solutions that help our natural environment,” Mr Duniam said.

“During our time in office, Australia’s emissions were reduced to a level 20 per cent lower than they were in 2005. That was a superior performance to any year under the Rudd and Gillard governments.”

Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie has urged the Federal Government to be more extreme with its climate targets by reducing emissions by 75 per cent by 2030 — instead of 43 per cent — and reach net zero by 2035 — instead of 2050.

“After almost a decade of lost years of inaction, there is no more time to waste,” she said.

“We must rapidly drive down emissions this decade and immediately stop the expansion of new coal and gas projects.”

However, Ms Plibersek ruled out increasing the government’s 43 per cent emissions reductions target, saying it was important the crossbench do not “hold out for perfection”.

“We made a promise to the Australian people and we will keep that promise as a government,” Ms Plibersek said.