The Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) urges all local community members to Vote for the Environment in the Federal election this Saturday July 2nd.
For more than 36 years ALEC has worked to protect the outback and catalyse change in the arid lands of central Australia. In the lead up to the Federal election ALEC has partnered with the Australian Conservation Foundation in a campaign to cut pollution, invest in clean energy and protect nature. Voters can check where the major parties stand on these issues at https://scorecard.acf.org.au
For the 2016 Federal election ALEC is calling for:
1. Real action on climate change
- Increased carbon emission reduction targets to at least 60% by 2030 and 100% before 2050.
- Supportive policies for renewable energy investment.
- Support for regional climate adaptation plans across the arid zone of Australia
2. Stronger environmental protection laws
- Strengthen the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to include shale gas under the water trigger legislation (currently limited to coal seam gas)
- Strengthen the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to include a climate trigger for projects with high carbon emissions.
- Establish a national environment protection agency.
3. Inquiry into national radioactive waste management
- Explore all options for permanent storage and management of Australia’s existing stockpiles of low and intermediate-level waste, while also exploring options for the future reduction of radioactive waste creation.
4. Increased funding for indigenous ranger programs
- Make a federal commitment to resource Indigenous Protected Areas - most of which are in the arid zone.
5. Sustainable development for Northern Australia
- Ensure that Northern Australian Development policies and tax-payer funded investments incorporate the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“The health of our environment is critical to the health of our communities. With global temperatures on the rise we’ve got our polar ice caps melting at a rate never seen before, we’re losing the Great Barrier Reef, and are seeing more extreme weather events. Our communities will be increasingly impacted unless there is immediate action on climate change,” said Mr Cocking.
“Our children will pay the price of our inaction. Strong leadership has to come from the Federal Government, as Australia lags behind in action on climate. Business as usual is no longer a valid approach, and we urge voters to keep this in mind when voting on Saturday,” Mr Cocking said.