ENVIRONMENT MINISTER SET TO BECOME GOLF COURSE MINISTER

Golf courses should not be built in Australia’s iconic reefs and desert landscapes against the wishes of traditional owners, say the Australian Greens.

“Tony Burke is on track to swap his title as Minister for the Environment to Minister for Golf Courses,” Senator Larissa Waters, the Australian Greens Environment spokesperson, said.

“Yesterday we saw Minister Burke sign off on a golf course in the middle of a World Heritage Area – the Great Barrier Reef – against the wishes of traditional owners.

“Now we hear that developers are looking to build a golf course at the foot of Uluru and that traditional owners say they haven’t been properly consulted.

“Looking at Minister Burke’s track record, we can see he has approved almost everything that has crossed his desk before crowing about how many conditions he has put on these risky developments.

“Conditions are no solution when environment departments are not adequately resourced to keep track of whether they are met or not.

“Over developing our unique natural assets, like our tropical reefs and cultural icons, risks destroying the very things that tourists come to see,” Senator Waters said.
Senator Larissa Waters Australian Greens Senator for Queensland 06/03/2013