News

10 May 2023

Last night's budget was an environmental disappointment, the Treasurer's speech focused little on the environment because frankly there is little to boast about from the government in this budget, even the implementation of the promised environment protection Australia body relax and factored the boost to funding for our iconic National Parks. Great hopes were held for a government committed to achieving a long list of nature and environmental promises to protect 30 per cent of land and sea, achieving a nature positive Australia and preventing any new extinctions by 2030 to name just a few, however, the money to support the achievements of these goals was glaringly absent, the State of the Environment Report was a dire warning, half of our economic output is moderately or highly dependent on nature. Budget allocations for the environment can no longer be considered a nice thing to do, but a critical sector of the economy to invest in, and with returns and savings that will be realised rent across society and industry, however, Australia's legacy of structural underfunding of ongoing nature conservation has largely continued. We can't rely on the private sector, it's very hard to see how the nature repair market will succeed without substantial underpinning investment, so call on the government and the minister to ensure this is rectified, I appreciate there are a number of priorities but the environment as Omni President, it is always going to be there and it is just underfunded for so long, -- omnipresent Ms McCormack to rectify this.