The land-clearing crisis has been hastened by individual decisions,
but it’s supported by a network of power brokers, lawmakers and
enforcement agencies
The broadscale denuding of the unique Australian landscape is the
result of thousands of landholders making a tapestry of individual
decisions.
Over the past few years, millions of hectares of land has been cleared of native vegetation, exacerbating climate change, the decline of threatened species and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
But the armory of bulldozers, chainsaws and herbicides tearing through Australia’s forests, grasslands and savannas is supported by a common network of power brokers, lawmakers and enforcement agencies.
While each individual clearing decision is usually a small piece of the overall crisis, the power systems that support each decision are the same, and arguably represent the real cause of the land clearing crisis.
The story of Australia’s disappearing native vegetation is the story of federal government workers attempting to enforce existing laws meant to protect Australia’s most precious environmental matters, but who are frustrated by politicians with close links to agriculture.
It is the story of legal threats and a lack of transparency.
It is the story of what is arguably Australia’s biggest environmental issue – one that threatens our biodiversity, the Great Barrier Reef and climate commitments – and its roots in an industry with close links to government.
The owners cleared 1,700 hectares of trees until federal government investigators stopped bulldozing of trees on the property in June that year, over concerns about the impacts on threatened species and the Great Barrier Reef.
Under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, actions likely to impact “matters of national environmental significance” must be referred to the federal government, and failing to do so is unlawful.
The federal government gained a commitment from the owners that they would apply for approval under federal laws.
“The owners are cooperating fully with the department in its enquiries and have undertaken to refer the balance of the clearing for a decision under national environmental law,” a spokesman for the federal department of environment said at the time. “A referral is expected within the next few weeks.”
But in the meantime, powerful pro-clearing interests kicked into gear.
Federal Liberal MP for Cairns, Warren Entsch, who once owned Olive Vale, told the Cairns Post after the federal intervention, that environment groups were overstating the issue in order to fundraise and feeding the government “bullshit”.
Despite the property being in a catchment identified as particularly prone to causing sediment run-off onto the Great Barrier Reef, the Cairns Post reported that Entsch thought such concerns were baseless.
“That’s absolute bullshit,” he was quoted saying. “The Wilderness Society has no element of credibility or scientific basis.”
Local lawyer and then-Queensland MP representing the area covering Olive Vale, David Kempton, went on the warpath.
“More green lies!” he wrote on Facebook at the time.
In a post disputing claims made by the Australian Conservation Foundation about threatened species on the property, he called for laws to be implemented to stop environmentalists, rather than farmers. “Let’s see a law that makes Greens responsible for the economic damage they cause to law abiding landholders by these outrageous lies.”
Despite the federal government saying in June 2015 that it expected the landholder to refer the clearing for assessment under federal environmental law “within weeks” no referral was seen.
Then it was revealed in the following year the owners had defied federal government requests and gone ahead, without seeking approval, and cleared a further 100 hectares of land.
Again, the government stepped in. Again it asked them to stop. Again, it announced it had secured a commitment the owners would refer the action.
And again Kempton, who by the time of the revelation in 2017 was no longer an MP, but instead a lawyer representing landholders, launched an attack on environmentalists, saying they should be sued.
“[Australian Conservation Foundation] chief executive officer Kelly O’Shanassy wrote a letter to federal environmental minister Josh Frydenberg last month, saying the ‘current situation is deeply concerning, unacceptable and sets the worst possible precedent’,” he told his followers on Facebook.
“Emotive claptrap. Before long someone will sue this fanatical ideological lobby group for injurious falsehood.”
And again, after all the lobbying was done, no referral was forthcoming. According to the public register of applications under federal environment law, no application for approval has yet been made to date.
Over the past few years, millions of hectares of land has been cleared of native vegetation, exacerbating climate change, the decline of threatened species and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
But the armory of bulldozers, chainsaws and herbicides tearing through Australia’s forests, grasslands and savannas is supported by a common network of power brokers, lawmakers and enforcement agencies.
While each individual clearing decision is usually a small piece of the overall crisis, the power systems that support each decision are the same, and arguably represent the real cause of the land clearing crisis.
The story of Australia’s disappearing native vegetation is the story of federal government workers attempting to enforce existing laws meant to protect Australia’s most precious environmental matters, but who are frustrated by politicians with close links to agriculture.
It is the story of legal threats and a lack of transparency.
It is the story of what is arguably Australia’s biggest environmental issue – one that threatens our biodiversity, the Great Barrier Reef and climate commitments – and its roots in an industry with close links to government.
Olive Vale
In 2015, the owners of a property called Olive Vale received approval from the Queensland government to clear a massive 31,000 hectares, making it the second biggest single clearing action to receive approval in Australia.The owners cleared 1,700 hectares of trees until federal government investigators stopped bulldozing of trees on the property in June that year, over concerns about the impacts on threatened species and the Great Barrier Reef.
Under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, actions likely to impact “matters of national environmental significance” must be referred to the federal government, and failing to do so is unlawful.
The federal government gained a commitment from the owners that they would apply for approval under federal laws.
“The owners are cooperating fully with the department in its enquiries and have undertaken to refer the balance of the clearing for a decision under national environmental law,” a spokesman for the federal department of environment said at the time. “A referral is expected within the next few weeks.”
But in the meantime, powerful pro-clearing interests kicked into gear.
Federal Liberal MP for Cairns, Warren Entsch, who once owned Olive Vale, told the Cairns Post after the federal intervention, that environment groups were overstating the issue in order to fundraise and feeding the government “bullshit”.
Despite the property being in a catchment identified as particularly prone to causing sediment run-off onto the Great Barrier Reef, the Cairns Post reported that Entsch thought such concerns were baseless.
“That’s absolute bullshit,” he was quoted saying. “The Wilderness Society has no element of credibility or scientific basis.”
Local lawyer and then-Queensland MP representing the area covering Olive Vale, David Kempton, went on the warpath.
“More green lies!” he wrote on Facebook at the time.
In a post disputing claims made by the Australian Conservation Foundation about threatened species on the property, he called for laws to be implemented to stop environmentalists, rather than farmers. “Let’s see a law that makes Greens responsible for the economic damage they cause to law abiding landholders by these outrageous lies.”
Despite the federal government saying in June 2015 that it expected the landholder to refer the clearing for assessment under federal environmental law “within weeks” no referral was seen.
Then it was revealed in the following year the owners had defied federal government requests and gone ahead, without seeking approval, and cleared a further 100 hectares of land.
Again, the government stepped in. Again it asked them to stop. Again, it announced it had secured a commitment the owners would refer the action.
And again Kempton, who by the time of the revelation in 2017 was no longer an MP, but instead a lawyer representing landholders, launched an attack on environmentalists, saying they should be sued.
“[Australian Conservation Foundation] chief executive officer Kelly O’Shanassy wrote a letter to federal environmental minister Josh Frydenberg last month, saying the ‘current situation is deeply concerning, unacceptable and sets the worst possible precedent’,” he told his followers on Facebook.
“Emotive claptrap. Before long someone will sue this fanatical ideological lobby group for injurious falsehood.”
And again, after all the lobbying was done, no referral was forthcoming. According to the public register of applications under federal environment law, no application for approval has yet been made to date.
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