In April this year, a special meeting of big business leaders hijacked a meeting of state and federal governments (COAG). They demanded the weakening of Australia’s environment laws.
Now the Labor and Liberal parties are preparing to do just that. Secret discussions are now underway to gut our national environment laws by giving away the Environment Minister’s approval powers to state governments.
Our environment is under attack like never before. If environment protection were left to the states, they would have dammed the Franklin River, put oil rigs in the Great Barrier Reef and built Traveston Dam.
This December, the state Premiers and the Prime Minister will meet again at COAG to take the next step to gut Australia’s environment laws before final sign off at a meeting in March 2013.
Before this happens, tell the Labor and Liberal parties not to gut Australia’s environment laws.
Dear Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Environment Minister Tony Burke, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Shadow Environment Minister Greg Hunt,
If environment protection were left to the states, they would have dammed the Franklin River, put oil rigs in the Great Barrier Reef and built Traveston Dam. When COAG meets again in December, please reverse the April COAG decision to gut Australia’s environment laws by giving away the Environment Minister’s approval powers to state governments.
It is the national government’s responsibility to protect the places and wildlife that are precious to all of us. So many Australians have worked so hard to protect these places and wildlife, and people here and overseas know that they are uniquely Australian. Don't abandon them to state governments now.
Yours sincerely,


