The National Water Commission today released its third biennial assessment of the National Water Initiative and water reform in Australia. The report highlighted the slow pace of water reform, stating: “Nationally there has been disappointingly slow progress in the explicit identification of over allocated and overused systems and in restoring those systems…
DetailsThe Gillard Government has finally given an answer about how many self funded retirees will be worse off under its carbon tax, but immediately backed away from it, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham said today. “In an extraordinary interjection during Senate Question Time, in response to a question to Finance…
DetailsFor the second week in a row a delay to the release of the proposed Basin Plan has been announced. ?Originally the proposed Basin Plan was to be released in mid-2010. It was then promised that release would occur in early 2011. The promised release date was then pushed back to August 2011.…
DetailsWater Minister Tony Burke has signalled his intention to ignore a key recommendation of a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry on Murray-Darling Basin reform, Coalition Murray-Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. It follows the Murray-Darling Basin Authority today further delaying until at least mid-October the release of its proposed Basin Plan. The parliamentary…
DetailsLabor’s implementation of Murray-Darling reform is now running more than a year late and might not meet the legislative timelines demanded by the Water Act 2007. The Murray-Darling Basin Authority is apparently deferring release of the proposed Basin Plan until mid-October. This will come as a blow to those hoping for certainty for Basin…
DetailsThe Labor-Greens carbon tax is already putting pressure on Australian jobs and industry, including those in South Australia, said Senator Cory Bernardi and Senator Simon Birmingham today. Adelaide Brighton Ltd has indicated that it will need to evaluate its local production methods in light of the estimated impacts of the carbon tax. …
DetailsMATHIAS CORMANN: Simon Birmingham and I… we are meeting with South Australian families and businesses today to talk with them about the impact of the carbon tax on them. The carbon tax, of course, will push up the cost of everything, it will make Australia less competitive internationally, it will cost jobs, it’ll hurt…
DetailsThe latest talk of Murray-Darling reform by the Gillard Government must be backed with iron-clad guarantees of results, not represent yet another collection of meaningless words and inter-governmental agreements. Reports that Water Minister Tony Burke is preparing to hand over more control of $5.8 billion in project delivery to state governments will send…
DetailsLiberal Treasury and Environment spokesmen will shine a spotlight on the impact of Labor’s carbon tax during two days of briefings and site visits in Adelaide and Mount Gambier. Shadow Assistant Treasurer Mathias Cormann and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment Simon Birmingham will visit numerous affected businesses and meet with business leaders…
DetailsBillions of litres in potential water savings appear to have been lost to irrigators and the environment due to Julia Gillard’s failure to progress works at the Menindee Lakes water storage, Coalition Murray-Darling Basin spokesman Simon Birmingham said today. The re-engineering of Menindee Lakes in New South Wales headed a list of Labor…
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