Thu, 8th May 2008

Critical environment funding must be maintained

The Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP
Shadow Minister for Environment, Heritage, the Arts and Indigenous Affairs

Shadow Minister for Environment, Heritage, the Arts and Indigenous Affairs, Dr Sharman Stone, has warned that now is not the time for further budget cuts to important environmental programmes in next week’s Federal Budget.

“In the lead up to the last election then-Shadow Minister and now Minister, Peter Garrett, tantalised many with the prospect of significant increases in environmental funding and a broader scope of environmental activity in the area of natural resource management. So far, Minister Garrett has failed to deliver.

“The Coalition remains deeply concerned by the Rudd Razor Gang’s 40 per cent funding cuts to the catchment management bodies which are expected to deliver natural resource management funds under the Rudd Government’s Caring for our Country programme.

“Whilst there was some token funding for the highly visible cane toads and Tassie devils, there’s been no funding commitment to help farmers tackle the weeds crisis on the ground or the feral animal build-up.

“Australia’s food security will increasingly depend upon State and Federal governments providing assistance with landscape management and biodiversity protection. Stripping away vital funding at this time underscores Labor’s lack of understanding about the interrelationships between natural resource protection and sustainable agriculture, in particular threats to Australia’s domestic food security.

Dr Stone said Labor’s funding cuts to the Bureau of Meteorology has meant their plan to resource-up for climate change work has been seriously diminished.

“Other funding cuts to drought research, climate monitoring and water quality management at the Bureau means that drought-affected Australia is less able to access critical information because the Bureau simply can’t afford to produce it.