Federal Enviro Act criticised as ineffectual
Left-wing think tank The Australia Institute has today launched a stinging attack on the Federal Environment Watchdog. Six years on from the passage of the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the institute says that while the legislation is costing at least $72 million to administer, there has been very little return to the environment. As a result, The Australia Institute has called for reform of the act in the past, but the government has ruled this out. Now the institute says, the legislation should simply be scrapped. Deputy director of the Australia Institute, Andrew Macintosh spoke to the Wire. The Wire contacted the Federal Environment Minister, Ian Campbell for comment. He declined to be interviewed but his press secretary released this statement that said “it is ignorant and simplistic to judge the success of the EPBC Act on the basis of the number of project approvals and rejections.”