MEDIA STATEMENT, Oct 7 2020

The Arid Lands Environment Centre CEO, says "Every budget is about choices, and right now the Government should be choosing to create stable, future-proof jobs for the benefit of all Australians instead of giving handouts to the polluting industries of the past like gas.” 

“This is the most important budget in decades and it will shape the future for millions of Australians relying on jobs and a liveable climate.  What we saw last night is a budget that favours the super-wealthy and big corporations. Almost $53 million of public money will be spent to turn precious country into industrial gas fields and build expensive pipelines that will become stranded assets in only a few years.”

“If we’re serious about jobs, gas is a bad investment. Clean energy will create thousands of new jobs, reduce our emissions and lower power prices for households and businesses.  As the rest of the world turns it back on fossil fuels, we need a budget that puts a renewable-led recovery at its centre.”

“The Treasurer revealed that the Beetaloo Basin in the Northern Territory is one of the first of five controversial new gas basin projects the Federal Government is trying to fast-track. They are doing this against the wishes of Traditional Owners and local communities and they expect us to pay for it.”

“Our communities don’t want fracking and we will continue to fight reckless spending on dangerous fossil fuel projects until our Government makes the right choice to invest in clean energy and safe jobs that won’t wreck our planet or our future.”