Australia’s environmental laws are failing to protect wildlife
News
This week, the Interim Report of the Independent Review into Australia’s national environmental legislation was released. The review has confirmed that the current legislation is failing to protect wildlife and their precious habitats.
Top image: Peter Tremain
World Animal Protection welcomes the clear statement in the interim report of the review that the Act is “ineffective” and “it is not fit to address current or future environmental challenges.”
The review recommends new legally enforceable National Environmental Standards and the establishment of an independent compliance and enforcement regulator.
Simone Clarke, Executive Director at World Animal Protection Australia said:
“Australian animals and their homes are under threat and the current laws are not protecting them.
“The interim report of the review notes that fundamental reform is needed, and we call on the Federal Government to ensure it happens.
“World Animal Protection supports the recommendations for new national environmental standards and an independent regulator as a good start to a sustainable future for our wildlife.”
We hope the Government will follow the advice from the Independent Review to help better protect wildlife and the environment.
While we welcome the recommendation for new environmental standards and an independent compliance and enforcement regulator, we do not support the recommendation to place greater responsibility with individual state governments rather than the Commonwealth. We need consistent legislation and enforcement to protect our precious wildlife and the environment.
Thank you for taking a stand.
We’d like to say thank you once again to all who took the time to sign onto our submission to the Independent Review. By adding your voice you’ve helped amplify the calls to better protect our wildlife and the environment. Thank you! While this interim report is only one step on the journey, the findings and recommendations provide us with a unique opportunity for improvement. We will keep you updated as the review progresses.
In the meantime, if you’d like more detail on the interim report, the Environmental Defenders Office has put together a summary of the key findings and recommendations. You can read their overview here.
“Australian animals and their homes are under threat and the current laws are not protecting them.