Plans to rip out an extra 75 billion litres of water a year from the Murray-Darling Basin should be abandoned in light of revelations the stressed system might already not be able to meet basic human needs, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham said it was astonishing that the Victorian and Australian…
DetailsWater Minister Penny Wong has today described court action threatened by the South Australian Rann Government as hypothetical, but was unable to indicate action being taken to prevent it, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “Senator Wong today agreed that ideally states would be working together cooperatively and that an open water market would…
DetailsAustralia risks sending jobs overseas under plans to include new “greenhouse triggers” in expanded environment protection legislation, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Coalition Senators are firmly opposed to the greenhouse trigger canvassed in today’s Government-controlled majority report of a Senate committee inquiry into the effectiveness of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act…
DetailsThe leaking of a supposed list of websites blacklisted by the Rudd Government highlights problems with its approach to cyber safety, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham is Deputy Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts and through the Estimates process has regularly questioned the Government on…
DetailsThe Rudd Federal Government should use its power to ensure the impact of flooding the Lower Lakes with seawater is assessed independently, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham announced he has written to Environment Minister Peter Garrett urging him to require independent oversight of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) being prepared on…
DetailsThe Rudd Government is risking a lack of public confidence in the process surrounding moves to flood the Lower Lakes with sea water, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Under national environmental law, the Rann State Government has been required by Federal Minister Garrett to prepare an EIS on its proposal to open the…
DetailsLimited measures to help the Murray-Darling Basin passed as part of an overall package plunging Australian taxpayers into crippling debt for years to come are a double disappointment, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “The small steps secured today towards providing relief for the Murray-Darling are welcome, given that the system needs all the…
DetailsToday’s commissioning of water pipelines for Lower Lakes communities serves to highlight inaction on projects that actually save water, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. “I welcome today’s final commissioning ceremony for pipelines providing greater water security for Lower Lakes communities,” Senator Birmingham said today. ”This important and worthy project will be of great benefit…
DetailsThe Rudd Government and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) had demonstrated a very strange set of spending priorities in recent months, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. Senator Birmingham, as Deputy Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts, has today been involved in questioning the taxpayer-funded broadcaster’s management in…
DetailsThousands of households could be forced to pay a second time just for access to free-to-air television in a ‘best case’ scenario, Senator Simon Birmingham said today. The revelation has come in questioning of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and departmental officials as part of Senate Additional Estimates. “Having already paid to install…
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