Memo to the environment minister: a river does need all its water

Protecting our rivers is a major 
responsibility for our new
 Environment Minister, Susan Ley.

Given her new role as federal environment minister, one of Sussan Ley’s comments in an interview with Nine Newspapers was eyebrow-raising, to put it mildly. She said:

"Sometimes the environment doesn’t need all its water but farmers desperately do need water."

This is inaccurate and concerning, but not all that surprising, given the attitude to water and rivers of some in the community and federal government.

Read the story from The Conversation - “Memo to the environment minister: a river does need all its water.”

Traditional owners still stand in Adani’s way

Last week, federal environment minister Melissa Price approved Adani’s groundwater management plan for its proposed Carmichael mine.

Traditional owners are contesting the validity of Adani’s land use agreement. 

However, Adani’s proposed mine remains highly contested and uncertain. A number of environmental plans are still waiting state approval, and the Queensland government will not extinguish native title over land Adani needs while outstanding Traditional Owners’ court action is unresolved.

Members of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Family Council (W&J Council) are contesting the validity of Adani’s Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA). The case is due to be heard by the full bench of the Federal Court in May.

Read the piece from The Conversation - “Traditional owners still stand in Adani’s way.”

'No precedent for stopping Carmichael Mine, but we should' - Justine Bell

Justine Bell - no precedent
 for stopping Carmichael
 Mine, but we should.

In the wake of the Paris Agreement, pressure has intensified on the Australian government to reject Adani’s proposed Carmichael mine, which will be one of the biggest mines in the world.

In order to stay below 2℃, scientists have estimated that more than 90% of known coal reserves in Australia must stay in the ground. Depending on the economics of various coal reserves, this may mean the Galilee Basin is “unburnable coal”.

Yet, this mine has already been approved by the Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt, and on Tuesday Queensland’s Land Court also recommended approval of the mine.

Read the piece on The Conversation by a Lecturer in Law at The University of Queensland, Justine Bell - “There’s no precedent for stopping the Carmichael coal mine, but we should.”