Big business outcry over the Senate saving federal environment protection from Tony Abbott’s one-stop shop shows complete disregard for our most important natural assets, many of which underpin sustainable industries, say the Australian Greens.

“Big business wants to scrap federal environment protections that have been in place for more than 30 years through Tony Abbott’s one-stop shop but thanks to the Greens’ leadership, the Senate won’t let that happen,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

Amid reports that Shree Minerals' Nelson Bay River mine is under investigation for breaching its federal environmental permit, Australian Greens Leader Christine Milne says the Abbott government must not proceed with plans to hand protection powers over to the state.

It's believed the Tasmanian Government amended its permit to allow the Nelson Bay River Mine to produce 20 times more acid-producing waste rock than originally planned, but the Federal Environment Department was not notified or given a chance to model the impacts on threatened species.

The Abbott Government’s Threatened Species Commissioner announcement today is a fig leaf with no legal backing to try and cover up Tony Abbott’s anti-environment agenda.

“We welcome the appointment of Gregory Andrews as Threatened Species Commissioner and wish him the best with the mammoth task the government is asking him to achieve with insufficient funding and no statutory authority,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

The Auditor General’s report on environmental protection shows the federal environment department is under-resourced and failing to enforce environmental conditions.

“The Abbott Government constantly approves environmentally destructive projects claiming that all of the damage will be offset by environmental conditions, but the report shows those conditions often aren’t enforced,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

The Australian Greens’ proposal for a Senate Inquiry into Abbott’s attacks on the environment has passed the Senate today.

“Our Senate Inquiry is an opportunity for everyone who cares about our environment to have their say on the way our Prime Minister is taking an axe to it,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said

 The Abbott Government last night passed a bill through the Lower House to hand federal environmental approval powers to the states, ignoring the World Heritage Committee’s concern about this environmentally disastrous plan.

“UNESCO is currently meeting to decide whether to downgrade the Great Barrier Reef’s World Heritage status to ‘In Danger’ and has expressed concern about the Abbott Government’s hasty handover of federal approval powers to the states,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

On World Environment Day today the Australian Greens announced they will move for a Senate Inquiry into Abbott’s attacks on the environment.

“Tony Abbott has been relentlessly hacking away at our environment protections and climate action, proving he is prepared to sacrifice our children and grandchildren’s future for the profits of the big mining companies,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

The Abbott Government has introduced a bill to the Lower House today to devolve national protection for water resources from coal seam gas to state governments, adding to its environment attacks inflicted by the budget.

The Abbott Government's 'one-stop-shop' environmental standards, released today, weaken community consultation rights and abandon federal environmental responsibilities, say the Australian Greens.

"Not only does the Abbott Government want to wash its hands of federal environment protection but it's trying to silence the community in the process," Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson and environmental lawyer, said.

The Senate has today has passed a motion calling upon the government to maintain the environmental requirement in the Gunns Pulp Mill approval that excludes wood sourced from native forests being used as feedstock.

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson said, “The Australian Senate has sent a message to any potential pulp mill investors not to rely on native forest woodchips to prop up your business case".