Environment Centre NT Media Release
The Environment Centre Northern Territory is alarmed that the Finocchiaro government has broken its election promise to voters by abandoning all climate emissions targets for the NT.
The Country Liberal Party (CLP) government has revealed it will not implement a 2030 emissions reduction target as it promised before the last NT election.
Six weeks out from the 2024 Territory election the CLP committed to a 43 per cent reduction in the NT’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
But during budget estimates yesterday, Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment Joshua Burgoyne said the Finocchiaro government had not adopted its promised 2030 emissions target.
Mr Burgoyne dismissed the Territory as a “relatively small emitter” and said climate change provides risks and “opportunities” for the Territory – a tone-deaf response given the ongoing climate crisis.
The Minister also faced questions about why the Territory government had quietly removed a cornerstone document requiring the Territory’s Environment Protection Authority to assess, consider and regulate climate pollution from industries like fracking, gas prospecting and agriculture.
The NTEPA Atmospheric Processes Guidance document has been secretly replaced with a weaker regulatory statement, without any community consultation.
This is completely inadequate, as the Safeguard Mechanism contains no approval power – it’s largely a reporting mechanism, with penalties for exceeding certain emission thresholds.
Conversely, the Environment Centre NT’s Recharging the Territory report proposes an alternative economic vision for the NT that tackles the cost-of-living crisis, while creating energy security and thousands of sustainable, future-ready jobs.
Executive Director of Environment Centre NT, Kirsty Howey said:
“Saying climate change is an “opportunity” is tone-deaf and insulting to Territorians who are struggling with rising energy costs and already feeling the impacts of climate change.
“This is more than a broken promise – abandoning our climate targets is like pouring petrol on a fire.
“You can’t claim to be serious about climate change while fast-tracking new gas projects like fracking in the Beetaloo and the Middle Arm gas and petrochemical hub, and abandoning emissions targets completely.
“Without immediate action to slash emissions, Darwin and much of the Territory will become unliveable within decades.
“The recent election results in Solomon show Territorians want much stronger action on fossil fuel expansion – m ore than one in four voters backed candidates who opposed the Middle Arm gas hub – that’s a clear message to the government.
“The secret removal of key EPA guidance documents – without any public communication or consultation – shows a complete lack of transparency.
“The government is fuelling the climate crisis by quietly stripping the EPA of its power to assess greenhouse gas emissions and letting big polluters off the hook.
“The government must come clean on who recommended these policies be shelved and who was consulted with beforehand.”
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I doubt any one cares more about our environment than I do. Having said that, I’m a realist and our society will not survive without fossil fuels, just about every yhing we eat, drink, wear, or use is as a result of fossil fuel.
Increase efficiency, reduce waste and recycle, all can be achieved and could save the planet. But there will be no life without fossil fuels and the pursuit of zero emissions is a phantasy.
Yes Jonangel, I agree, but thawing out emission targets is like admitting defeat and giving up to even try to achieve the reductions needed.
Of course the C(orrupt) L(ousy P(ricks) have, the pockets of big business are very deep and bulging with cash and favours, making them far too hard to ignore.
with the clp money rules and religion drives the pollies.
The mix is toxic but, with a few more mistakes, it can only last till the next election.
Albo shelved the EPBC Act revisions as negotiated and mooted by Plibersek, and also shelved Plibersek so he could buddy up to WA’s Roger Cook. Then quick as a flash sent in Murray Watt to wave through the NW Shelf expansion – done deal (for FF exporters / polluters).
Now (industrial) hard man Watt says he’s convening a ’round table’ with miners, environmentalists, farmers, urban developers and more to hash out the matters for EPBC Act revision. He says, “Everyone agrees that our current laws are broken. They are not working for the environment, they are not working for business.” [nor for First Nations’ interests]. What astounding rhetoric, considering Plibersek had already done that and was on the verge of introducing a bill (or two) revising the Act.
Not only that, Graeme Samuel’s 2020 review has languished, when at the time, he wrote, “The environment has suffered from two decades of failing to continuously improve the law and its implementation. Business has also suffered.” Watt seems to be accruing the ad hoc processes decried by Samuels, saying he hopes to have the Act re-written in this term of govt, with a mine-field of caveats: More complexity through yet another reset.
Seems like the ABC, like Watt, is hedging its bets, here’s another article (same day as the one above). In this article it reports that Watt “hopes to introduce rewritten legislation early in the new year”: Murray Watt’s hopes & Climate Triggers.
So whilst the NT CLP breaks promises and burns bridges, Federal Labor, via Watt et al, duck, weave and obfuscate in the North & West, hoping those in the East don’t notice. Yeah, riiiiight!