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8 June 2005

Labor’s environment commitments welcomed

The Environment Centre NT (ECNT) says Labor’s election commitments on the environment, released today, are a significant step forward.

Obviously there are things we wanted to see in the policy that are not there, and some things are still too vague for comfort, but overall the direction is positive and they have taken on board a range of issues and initiatives that the community has strongly advocated for a long time.

The highlights of the ALP policy include:

»	EPA
»	Establish a strong Environment Protection Agency (EPA) with the necessary resources including the best environment protection laws in Australia.
»	Enact the new Environment Protection and Management Act to provide the statutory basis for EPA.
»	Immediately reorganize the Office of Environment and Heritage and appoint the new three person EPA board.
»	Eight new staff and additional $1.1 million in stage 2 of EPA creation (from 2007).
»	Produce NT’s first “State of the Environment Report”.

»	Daly River
»	No cotton and no dams.
»	$3.5 million for new monitoring program.
»	Moratorium on land clearing and pastoral lease subdivisions to continue until monitoring program in place (said to be 2007: Dr Chris Burns).
»	A new living rivers program, with new legislation, to give special status to NT’s ‘icon rivers’, including Daly.

»	Indigenous Rangers
»	Two new Indigenous ranger programs.

»	Legislative reform
»	Water Act overhaul “to meet world’s best practice”.
»	Living Rivers legislation.
»	Environment Protection and Management Act.
»	Although not explicitly addressed in ALP’s 2005 election commitments, there is an ongoing government review of other Acts including Mines, Fisheries, Pastoral Lands, etc, AND the need for a review of the NT Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act to become the NT Biodiversity Conservation Act.

»	Marine and coastal
»	Protect more mangroves along the coastline in addition to Darwin Harbour.
»	Commence a comprehensive marine planning process.
»	Although not explicitly addressed in the ALP’s 2005 election commitments, there is a longstanding government commitment to a Bynoe Harbour Marine Protected Area and/or Plan of Management.

»	Mining and nuclear
»	No new uranium mines in NT, including the proposed Koongarra mine in Kakadu
»	No nuclear waste dump in NT.
»	Ongoing clean up of Mt Todd mine.

»	Invasive species (weeds, cane toads, ferals)
»	$30 cane toad trap subsidy.
»	“Tackling Territory Invaders” program and summit.

»	Greenhouse
»	Double funding for the Cool Communities (COOLmob) program – for household energy (and now water) audits and efficiency education.
»	Minimize greenhouse emissions by better fire management, land clearing controls and mandatory public reporting of emissions by major industries.
»	Develop an air quality monitoring network.

»	Other
»	$50 rebate to encourage water conservation in Central Australia – to purchase water saving devices.
»	Create a Rapid Creek Environment Hub – free space for community environment groups.

Clearly Labor is acknowledging that the environment is very important to Territorians. If Labor is re-elected to government, the community will demand that the commitments are met in full and on time and that the money to accomplish this will be forthcoming.

For further information contact:
Peter Robertson on (08) 8981 1984
Email: ecnt@octa4.net.au

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The Environment Centre of the Northern Territory
3/98 Woods St, Darwin » Postal Address: GPO Box 2120, Darwin 0801 NT
Phone: 08 8981 1984 » Fax: 08 8941 0387 » E-mail: admin@ecnt.org