phill Parsons
Goodbye to another attempt by Bartlett to create credibility in the wake of Lennon Labor. Lemon Labor shows by a retinue of the same style of dumb moves denying its espoused position on almost everything that it ain’t clever, only connects with its special mates for special deals and extends kindness to its client groups excluding those who dissent. They may be returned time and again leaving in the end a husk of Labor’s principles lying empty in an emptied land. Read more, Comment here, Download MOU
What Nick McKim says …
‘UNDERSTANDING’ NEUTERS EPA
Business as Usual for Forestry Under Bartlett
Nick McKim MP
Greens Leader
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
www.tas.greens.org.au
The Tasmanian Greens today highlighted a Memorandum of Understanding secretly signed by the Forest Practices Authority (FPB) and Tasmania’s new Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) late last year.
Greens Leader Nick McKim MP said that the MOU effectively neuters the EPA by delegating authority for investigating the environmental impacts of forestry to an agency which has a demonstrated record of failing to properly regulate the industry.
Mr McKim said that despite all the propaganda from government when the EPA was created, and all of Premier David Bartlett’s rhetoric, it will be business as usual for the forest industry under the new arrangement.
“The EPA was created to protect Tasmania’s environment, not to abrogate responsibility to an agency that has a demonstrated incapacity to protect Tasmania from an out of control forest industry.”
“Given David Bartlett’s commitment to greater transparency, this agreement should have been announced publicly rather than leaving it hidden for people to stumble across on an obscure website.”
“This lack of openness shows that the government knew there would be a public outcry over this MoU.”
“Parliament has decided that all polluting activities should fall under the EPA’s jurisdiction, and no amount of bureaucratic trickery should be allowed to change that fact.”
“Under this agreement, it will be the FPA which will make initial judgements on whether forestry is impacting on the environment, which will offer no reassurance to Tasmanians who have watched powerless as their water and air have been poisoned, their roads destroyed, and their landscapes raped.”
“The MOU appears to subvert the intent of Parliament, which set up the EPA to regulate all pollution, not just that caused by those who lack the political protection afforded to the forest industry.”
“After all the fanfare from government when the EPA was created, it beggars belief that one of its first acts is to effectively wash its hands of responsibility for one of Tasmania’s most polluting industries.”
“Tasmanians will see and smell the effect of this ‘understanding’ when the forest burning season begins and Tasmania’s premier environmental regulator refuses to investigate their complaints.”
Mr McKim also said that the FPA now has a clear conflict-of-interest as it will be regulating and approving Forest Practices Plans, overseeing their implementation, and then investigating any complaints about activities carried out under those same Plans.
Attached: Memorandum of Understanding between the Forest Practices Authority (FPA) and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) on matters of overlapping jurisdiction, 2008. (3 pages).
