Will Labor’s win mean a win for Queensland’s environment and wildlife?

Koala
Koala. Image © Canva NFP

Wildlife Queensland congratulates the Palaszczuk Government on its state election win and an extra big congratulations to the new Environment Minister, the Hon. Meaghan Scanlon MP. We look forward to working with the newly elected Government to achieve enhanced management of our environment and our natural heritage.

Commitment to pre-election promises

As the Palaszczuk Government swings into action, it must plan to deliver a number of significant pre-election commitments for the environment, including:

  • $60 million over four years for the Protected Area Strategy which includes $28 million for new parks and $8 million for private nature reserves. The Strategy reiterates the commitment to protect 17 per cent of Queensland for nature conservation.
  • $145 million to connect three Renewable Energy Corridors to the grid and a $500 million fund to build publicly owned renewable energy power stations.
  • A 10-year Climate Action Plan to meet the target of cutting climate pollution by 35 per cent by 2030 and set Queensland on the path to net-zero emissions.
  • An independent Environmental Protection Authority to better enforce our environmental laws.

To date, Labor has provided no targeted delivery dates for the next four years. However, they indicated that if elected, they would move quickly on continuing the war against plastic.

Wildlife Queensland will continue to monitor and provide updates on these pre-election promises.

Working for the betterment of our environment and its wildlife

What is refreshing is the rapid response we received from the office of the new Shadow Minister for the Environment, Mr Samuel O’Connor MP to our recent communication.

Wildlife Queensland is apolitical and will readily work with the Opposition to push the State Government into appropriate decision-making for the betterment of our environment and its wildlife. It certainly would not be the first time that has occurred. Credit has to go to the LNP for their assistance in ensuring the ban on single-use plastic bags occurred as early as it did.

The next four years will be crucial in addressing Australia’s fauna extinction crisis. Many native species are currently under threat of extinction: koalas, platypuses, gliders, wallabies, black-throated finches ‒ and the list goes on.

But the challenges can be met. The population increase of the bridled nailtail wallaby is clear evidence of that, and Wildlife Queensland is proud of the role we played in that success story.

Wildlife Queensland urges the broader community to let politicians know you care about wildlife and the habitat they call home. If a loud enough noise is made by people outside the conservation movement, the politicians will sit up, listen and take the necessary and urgent action to at least reduce the population decline in so many species, arresting biodiversity loss and perhaps bringing an end to the fauna extinction crisis.

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