Enviro Report Slams Vic Govt Record
31 July 2012 at 11:42 am
A report from Not for Profit advocacy group, Environment Victoria has slammed the Baillieu Government’s environmental record, saying the majority of Victorians think the environment is getting worse under the State Coalition.
Environment Victoria CEO Kelly O'Shanassy, who commissioned the report, said a public poll of over 1000 Victorians shows the government’s decisions are not aligned with the aspirations of the community.
“The report shows that Victoria is heading down the wrong path when it comes to keeping Victorians’ power and water costs down, ensuring we have a liveable city and clean and efficient power production and a healthy environment,” she said.
“Victorians want liveable cities, not urban sprawl. They want the government to make decisions that enhance the natural environment and ease the pressure on the cost of living. But the government’s decisions are taking us in the opposite direction.”
Some of the key decisions made by the Baillieu Government, which are unpopular with Victorians include:
- Scrapping the plan to cut Victoria’s greenhouse pollution. (76 per cent of Victorians think the state government has a responsibility to reduce greenhouse pollution)
- Making solar power more expensive for Victoria’s families. (78 per cent of Victorians want more solar and wind power)
- Announcing plans to dig up Victorian holiday places and farmland for mega-brown coal mines. (Only 7 per cent of Victorians want more coal and 63 per cent want less coal over the next five years)
- Supporting polluting coal while destroying investment and jobs in wind and solar energy. (50 per cent think the Government’s wind farm planning laws are unfair, while only 22 per cent think they are fair)
- Undermining national attempts to save the Murray River. (Providing enough water to the Murray Darling Basin was rated second most important thing to do to protect Victoria’s rivers and waterways)
“The addition of six new suburbs to Melbourne’s fringe with limited public transport and services and which destroy green wedges will not reduce congestion or improve the liveability of Melbourne,” O'Shanassy said.
“A smart state would be managing the current sprawl, protecting grasslands and green wedges, and investing in public transport to ease congestion and pollution.”
