Comments on: Australia needs a national environment protection agency https://www.openforum.com.au/australians-need-a-national-environment-protection-agency-to-safeguard-their-health/ Open Forum offers an independent platform for Australian debate Tue, 19 Dec 2023 21:24:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.25 By: Max Thomas https://www.openforum.com.au/australians-need-a-national-environment-protection-agency-to-safeguard-their-health/#comment-4784 Sun, 01 Apr 2018 05:13:15 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=13208#comment-4784 A major alliance of leading environmental groups, including Doctors for the Environment Australia, has called for an independent “National Sustainability Commission” to be ‘responsible for Commonwealth strategic environmental instruments, in much the same way that the Reserve Bank is in charge of economic levers such as interest rates’. In case these ‘leading environmental groups’ haven’t noticed, the RBA has very few ‘levers’ remaining for it to pull. Tinkering with interest rates is politically fraught and affects only a narrow section of the economy. The proposed new Commonwealth Environment Commission (CEC) would quickly run into the real multi-national economic drivers before they could shift the lever to first gear.

Which lever would the CEC pull to approve or refuse a proposed offshore windfarm at Corner Inlet near Wilsons Prom? The project would be close to an internationally-recognised breeding sanctuary for migratory birds that cross those waters in great numbers. And would the CEC advocate investigation of promising geothermal energy resources in the Latrobe Valley despite the Victorian state government’s drilling embargo?

‘Doctors for the Environment Australia’ evidently seeks to increase its influence over government policy. Fair enough, there can be no meaningful discussion of health without reference to the environment. But, as I have pointed out in ‘Open Forum’ previously, it is imperative that evidence must always be placed ahead of political objectives.

https://www.openforum.com.au/on-coal-seam-gas-fracking/

https://www.openforum.com.au/Further-evidence-that-coal-fired-power-has-reached-its-use-by-date

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By: Max Thomas https://www.openforum.com.au/australians-need-a-national-environment-protection-agency-to-safeguard-their-health/#comment-4783 Sun, 01 Apr 2018 03:04:14 +0000 http://www.openforum.com.au/?p=13208#comment-4783 There are calls for ‘non-political’ bodies to set standards and priorities in health, environment and education etc. Presumably, these ‘political antibodies’ would also control funding and enforcement, where necessary. If the suggested functions are to be carried out by unelected bureaucrats then who, if not politicians, will appoint them? Perhaps a popular President installed by the Murdoch press?

The USEPA operates under very different constitutional arrangements than the Australian agencies. They have done a great deal of valuable work that still benefits other countries, including Australia. The Trump administration is attempting to destroy the USEPA. However, the reactionary behaviour of Trump and his minions will be swept aside by the historic forces that drive the demand for improved environmental stewardship.

We already have national standards e.g. ANZECC water quality guidelines and the National Environment Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measures etc, which are reflected in state laws, regulations and policies. Specifically, what would national legislation include or exclude that isn’t already covered by state environmental legislation? It’s hard to imagine how anything resembling the Commonwealth EPBC Act, the way it operates in practice, would be good for the environment. And nobody, surely, would suggest using the Murray-Darling Basin Authority as a model for independent environmental management by the Commonwealth.

An Australian Commonwealth EPA would have to be accountable to the government of the day and to the elected representatives of the people i.e. the Parliament, that’s how responsible government works. As clumsy as the federation is, at least the states serve to compensate for the inability of Canberra to govern effectively. It is especially ironic that the states should have to deal with an increasingly unrepresentative and fragmented Senate.

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