Media release – Bob Brown Foundation, 7 September 2022
Environment defenders celebrated by Bob Brown Foundation
Today’s winners of Bob Brown Foundation’s 11th annual Environment Awards are recognised for their real achievements for a world in environmental crisis. The awards are presented on national Threatened Species Day, which commemorates the death of the last Tasmanian Tiger and the onrush of extinction due to habitat loss. At the core of BBF’s work is the protection of endangered species’ habitat from destruction at the hands of governments and big business.
The awards were established in 2012 to recognise people who have demonstrated resolute courage and conviction in taking a stand for environmental protection, preservation and justice.
The 2022 winners from across Australia include Environmentalist of the Year, Wangan and Jagalingou man Coedie McAvoy who has spent the past 365 days on country, to protect his people’s land and water from the Adani Carmichael mine in Central Queensland. Mali Cooper, from flood-ravaged Lismore in northern New South Wales, is Young Environmentalist of the Year for her courage, taking action on the streets of Sydney for climate and the environment earlier this year. Mali has been prevented from coming to Hobart for the ceremony due to draconian bail conditions restricting her from freedom of movement to travel interstate.
The Deni Greene Award, for professionals who have made an outstanding contribution to protecting Australia’s environment, goes to Dr Matthew Webb who has documented the tragic destruction of the critically endangered swift parrot’s habitat like no one else. His scientific work on this critically endangered species has highlighted its decline in the Tasmanian forests, the bird’s only breeding habitat.
Tasmania’s Planning Matters Alliance (PMAT) is the winner of the Community Group Award for its outstanding contribution to ensuring development in Tasmania does not come at the cost of destroying nature. PMAT has won previous state and national recognition for planning innovation to protect the natural environment.
BBF Patron Bob Brown, who will take the winners to see some of Tasmania’s wild forests tomorrow, says the winners are inspiring Australians in an age of epic environmental destruction.
“Each, in their own wonderful way, has taken action in a world where most do nothing and governments aid and abet the destruction. And as weak governments give in to corporate extractors and legislate to criminalise effective environmental advocacy, these winners have cut through: they are intelligent, gutsy and inspiring. We are proud to recognise all their good works.”
The awards ceremony will be held in the Hobart BBF office at 6pm tonight.
Media release – Planning Matters Alliance of Tasmania (PMAT), 7 September 2022
PMAT humbled by Environment Group of the Year Award
The Planning Matters Alliance of Tasmania (PMAT), an alliance of almost 70 diverse community groups engaged in planning reform in lutruwita/Tasmania, is humbled to be awarded the Bob Brown Foundation’s Community Group of the Year award. The award recognises outstanding contribution to ensuring development in Tasmania does not come at the cost of destroying nature.
Planning affects every land title in Tasmania, where environmental values are cherished by locals and visitors alike and nature underpins our identity, wellbeing and economy. PMAT advocates for proper planning process across a range of interest areas, including the environment. See here for our ‘Platform’ and the key issues we work on.
“This is a fabulous recognition for our almost 70 member groups, our volunteers and Sophie Underwood, the tireless coordinator of PMAT since its inception”, said Kerry Burns. “In the six years since PMAT was formed, our membership has exploded, the range of issues we cover has grown and our credibility established. In 2020 PMAT won the Planning Institute of Australia’s National Planning Champion award and today’s award cements external recognition for our work, for which we are grateful.”
Recently PMAT worked to assist the community to engage in the review of the State Planning Provisions (i.e. the rules of the Tasmanian Planning Scheme) consultation process by publishing a submission guide (see here) and just this morning, PMAT was called on to provide a briefing to the Legislative Council on the proposed new housing authority.
“Planning is complex, dry and confusing and rarely piques people’s attention until they are seeking approval for a development, or someone else proposes something that will affect their interests,” said Ms Underwood. “Tasmania has a long history of environmentalism and the community standing up to protect the special values of this island. In the 21st Century, the threats and pressure on our environment have not abated and the need for action is as great as ever.”
“Good planning must enshrine provisions to properly protect environmental values, empower the community to participate in important decision making and ensure merit-based rights of appeal. If you get the right planning settings in place, community conflict over environmental values will dissipate.”
“We are grateful for the recognition this award affords PMAT and I pay tribute to all our member groups, the current PMAT Board and past founding President Anne Harrison who is a stalwart of planning advocacy and community building.”
