Environment

Cramming Melbourne with high-rises is bad planning: Bandt

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Friday 17th February 2012, 5:17pm
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Greens MP and Federal Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt has said that he is greatly concerned about the suggestion from the Victorian Planning Minister, Matthew Guy, that Melbourne CBD can expend relentlessly in height and density. "

Focussing on height instead of community needs will make Melbourne a worse place to live", Mr Bandt said.

"We're already cramming people into the inner-city without providing enough community facilities, affordable housing, public transport or open space."

"People need to be at the centre of any urban planning decisions, yet they are conspicuously absent from the Minister's vision."

"I accept that we can't expand Melbourne's boundaries outwards forever, but if we simply put everyone into high-rise flats without proper services or open space, Melbourne will no longer be the world's most liveable city."

"Building without such planning has resulted in communities like Docklands left without a school, without a park or even reliable access to television." 

"The Victorian Government is apparently developing a metropolitan planning strategy.  This will be of limited value if it exists after the bulldozers have bolted."

"The Federal government's National Urban Policy aims to integrate planning systems, infrastructure delivery and management.  COAG national criteria for planning systems need to be strengthened so that state planning Ministers cannot come up with fanciful plans for tall buildings without taking care of basic services and neighbourhood amenity." 

Bandt welcomes end to cattle in Alpine Park

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Tuesday 31st January 2012, 1:33pm
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Greens MP Adam Bandt has welcomed a decision by Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to reject the Victorian government plan to graze cattle in the Alpine National Park.


Mr Bandt said the decision was the culmination of a hard fought campaign and that he would no longer proceed with his bill to outlaw grazing in the national park.


"This is the right decision by the Minister and a victory for the campaign led by the Victorian National Parks Association."


"This should put an end to the Victorian government's plan, which was all about fulfilling a grubby election deal. The State government should now take the opportunity to work cooperatively with other governments on managing the national park."


"I will no longer proceed with my bill to outlaw grazing, but if the Victorian government attempts to circumvent the Minister's order we will revive the bill and put the issue beyond doubt."


"The Minister for Environment should not use this good decision as an excuse for not taking action elsewhere in the country, such as the heritage listing of Cape York."


Mr Bandt's Environment and Biodiversity Conservation (Abolition of Alpine Grazing) Bill 2011 would have legislated a complete ban on grazing of cattle in the Alpine National Park.


 

Car industry assistance needs to drive change: Bandt

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Tuesday 24th January 2012, 11:14am
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Greens MP and industry spokesperson, Adam Bandt, says future assistance to the car industry needs to drive innovation and a shift to electric vehicles if an Australian car industry is to survive.


Minister Carr and car companies can't just blame the high dollar for job cuts. They must take responsibility for their failure to adapt to the new market.


"The car industry needs to go green if it is to survive," Mr Bandt said.


"The government needs to play a more active role in driving innovation and require the industry to change. Instead, it is going in the other direction. The government has given $100 million to Toyota for little change and no protection to workers. Job security should be a key criterion for any future funds."


"Ultimately, we need to shift to an industry focused on electric mobility. That is where the world is heading and we need to get ahead of the game."


"We opposed the scrapping of the Green Car Innovation Fund because though it had problems, it was a step in the right direction. As we move to mandatory vehicle fuel efficiency standards, government needs to put something in place of the Green Car fund."


"A start would be an initial investment of at least $75 million in an Electric Vehicle fund, which would pay for electric vehicle development and trials, as well as recharging infrastructure."


 


 

Stop the destruction of our Great Barrier Reef

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Millions of cubic metres of sea floor in the Great Barrier Reef are being dredged for coal-seam gas industry exports, as revealed by Four Corners, threatening the marine life and threatening its world heritage status.

Senator Larissa Waters has taken action in Parliament to stop this – both Labor and the Coalition voted down the motions. But the Environment Minister has the power to act.

Please write to the Minister to stop this destruction.

Here are the facts:

  • 46 million cubic metres of sea floor will be dredged from Gladstone Harbour - within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (equivalent to 27 Melbourne Cricket Grounds in volume)
  • The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has warned the dredging threatens the world heritage status of the Reef.
  • Hundreds of dead dugongs and turtles and epidemics of fish disease are turning this part of the Reef from a vibrant ecosystem to a barren wasteland.
  • There are plans for at least 5 other new ports for coal and coal seam gas export up and down the Reef – each entailing more dredging. UNESCO wants Australia to look at the combined impacts of all this dredging. The Greens want all dredging in the Reef to stop while that happens.

The Environment Minister said on Four Corners that he doesn’t believe he has the power to suspend all dredging in the Reef, but as an environmental lawyer I know that he does.

Write to the Minister and ask him to stop bowing to pressure from the fossil fuel industry and stand up for our priceless Great Barrier Reef.

Australian Greens National Conference Press Conference - November 6, 2011

Greencast | Spokesperson Bob Brown, Rachel Siewert, Scott Ludlam, Adam Bandt MP
Sunday 6th November 2011, 4:10pm
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Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.

Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas. 

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A free double pass to 'This Is Not A Film'

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We want to thank you and Cinema Nova is helping us out. Sign up below for a double pass to 'This Is Not A Film'.

‘This Is Not a Film’ is a day-in-the-life documentary of Panahi’s experience under house arrest, filmed almost entirely inside his apartment in Tehran, as he creatively expresses his frustration of not being allowed to do what comes so naturally to him.

The film is a courageous fight against censorship and for the human rights of, not only his colleagues in the Iranian film industry, but filmmakers everywhere.

Bandt bill on alpine grazing still needed

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Thursday 21st July 2011, 12:02pm
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Greens MP Adam Bandt has backed a move by the Minister Tony Burke to further extend Commonwealth environmental controls over national parks, but warned it may not stop the Victorian government's plan for cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park.‪

Greens MP Adam Bandt warned that any move to list national parks may need agreement from state governments, which could take months or years, but that any attempt to reintroduce cattle into Victoria's Alpine National Park by the Baillieu government could be overruled by his bill before the Federal Parliament.‪‪

Mr Bandt said that if the Victorian government refused to participate in or sought to circumvent the Environment Minister's latest move, he would move ahead with a bill to comprehensively ban cattle from the park.‪‪

The Green's Environment and Biodiversity Conservation (Abolition of Alpine Grazing) Bill 2011 can be voted on in the next sitting of Parliament.‪‪

"The grazing season is only a couple of months away, so I am concerned the Minister's proposal may not be in time to stop the State government's plan to resume damage to the Alpine National Park," Mr Bandt said.‪‪

"Reintroduction of cattle into the beautiful Alpine National Park would be an act of environmental vandalism."‪‪

"The Premier can try any underhand methods that he likes but if my bill passes through Parliament it is game over."‪‪

"If the Victorian government tries to get around the Minister's restrictions, I would expect Labor to get behind a complete ban and support my bill."‪

Cattle removal welcome: Bandt

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Friday 18th March 2011, 4:33pm
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Greens MP Adam Bandt has welcomed the decision of the Federal Environment Minister to order the removal of cattle from the Alpine National Park.

Minister Burke announced today that he was requiring the Victorian government to remove the cattle by April 8 until a national assessment was conducted.

Mr Bandt said he was confident that a full national assessment of the cattle trials would lead to their long-time removal, but if this was not the case he would proceed with his private members bill to permanently ban cattle from the park.

"This is a good decision from the Minister," Adam Bandt said today.

"It is a vindication of the Greens view that the Victorian government's vandalism of the park should not be allowed to continue."

 
"We should note that this will only cut short the grazing season by 22 days, a lot of damage has already been done."


"I am also concerned that a final decision still needs to be made on the matter and will keep open the option of pushing a head with my bill to ban the cattle if it becomes necessary down the track."


"Meanwhile today we can celebrate that the beautiful Alpine National Park is to be protected."


"I want to pay tribute to the work of many Victorians but in particular the Victorian National Parks Association which has spear headed this campaign.


Mr Bandt's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Abolition of Alpine Grazing) Bill 2011 is due to be debated in Federal Parliament on Monday.

Burke must act today on grazing: Bandt

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Friday 18th March 2011, 1:14pm
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Greens MP Adam Bandt has said he is looking forward to a decision today from Environment Minister Tony Burke on grazing of cattle in the Alpine National Park.

Mr Bandt said he hopes the Minister makes the right decision, but if not he will push ahead on Monday with a debate on his bill to outlaw the cattle grazing.

"I am looking forward to hearing some good news from the Minister today", Adam Bandt said.

"It is clear the cattle must be removed and the Victorian government's vandalism of the park overruled."

"The problem is getting worse, with at least one cattleman saying he is putting his own cattle into the park in addition to those that are part of the Victorian government's so-called trials."

"The Minister needs to act."

"If we dont get the right decision today, I will move ahead on Monday with a debate on my bill to outlaw the cattle grazing."

Mr Bandt's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Abolition of Alpine Grazing) Bill 2011 is due to be debated in Federal Parliament on Monday.

 

Uni blackmail on cattle grazing needs a Federal inquiry: Bandt

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Sunday 6th March 2011, 1:34pm
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Greens MP Adam Bandt has condemned an apparent attempt by the Victorian State government to blackmail the University of Melbourne to work on its controversial alpine cattle grazing trials.

The alleged blackmail, revealed in today's Sunday Age, was an attack on academic freedom, Mr Bandt said. He called on the Federal Minister for Education to ensure there is properindependentinvestigation by the University.

Mr Bandt, who has a bill before Federal Parliament to ban cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park, said he would also move for an inquiry by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Employment into the matter.

"This appears to be an outrageous attempt at blackmailing one of Australia's premier education institutions, located in myelectorateof Melbourne " Mr Bandt said.

"We knew the Baillieu government was desperate to justify its vandalism in the Alpine National Park but I am surprised they would go this far."

"The Federal Minister needs to ensure a proper independent investigation of this matter is conducted by the University ofMelbourneand made public.

"I will also move for an inquiry by the Federal Parliament's Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations."

"I am due to meet the Vice-Chancellor soon and will be discussing with him the need for an investigation and what he is doing to protect his University from this attack on academic freedom.

"This situation also reinforces the need for legislative protection of academic freedom. It is appalling that Australia is one of the few countries in the developed world without such protection."

Mr Bandt's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Abolition of Alpine Grazing) Bill 2011 is due to be debated in the next sitting of Parliament.

Victorian Greens MLCs will also pursue the matter when State Parliament resumes tomorrow including a motion calling for the release of all correspondence regarding the alleged blackmail.