Federal Budget Betrays Qld Environment

[Drew Hutton]

FEDERAL BUDGET BETRAYS QLD ENVIRONMENT

 

Last night's budget produced some positive outcomes but the Queensland environment would not see any of these.

 

Greens Senate candidate Drew Hutton said the main areas that miss out in the budget are:

  a.. Clean energy and climate change. Extra greenhouse money totaling the grand sum of $3.4million in 2004/5 and $3.2 million in 2005/06 is derisory;  it goes
  nowhere near compensating for the constantly re-announced and never-spent $1 billion for greenhouse programs of which the government had spent less than half by 2003.
  b.. Oil companies get $17 million in new subsidies for exploration while on the demand side there is a pathetic $1.5 million to promote a Green Vehicles Guide.
  c.. Great Barrier Reef.  No new money.  On top of last week's axing of the Cooperative Research Centre, all 'new' expenditures on the Great Barrier Reef are being funded by cutting back other Natural Heritage Trust programs. Funding has also been withdrawn from the Rainforest Research Centre in the Wet Tropics.  The withdrawal of funding for both centres is also a blow for the Queensland tourism industry.
  d.. Murray Darling Basin   No new money, including for the Queensland section of the Basin.  
  e.. Rail infrastructure The one-off $450 million grant, with no more funding for the next four years, is tiny compared with the $4 billion needed to bring interstate rail infrastructure up to scratch.  While oil companies are being paid $1.50 for every $1 spent on oil exploration, there is no federal money for much-needed investment in urban public transport.
  f.. Ecological re-structuring.  While there is continuing funding for drought relief, there is no recognition of the need to give incentives for more ecologically sensitive farming practices.
 

Wednesday 12 May 2004

 

Contact:  Drew Hutton 38462409   0428 487 110





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