[Greens-Media] Greens call for end to departmental shuffle.

[Sally Haigh]

Media Release
24.5.06

WA Greens call for end to departmental shuffle. 

The environment needs protecting, not another 'new' government
department, say Greens (WA).

Greens WA member for the Southwest Paul Llewellyn said today that the
Government should spend more time on action to save the environment and
less time on restructuring Government agencies.

"The government is rightly looking to improve its track record on the
environment," Mr Llewellyn said. 

"However it has been so busy restructuring the environment portfolio
it hasn't had much time for anything else. We have a bunch of new
policies, and some of them are good ones, but there are no measurable
targets or delivery mechanisms in place.

"Under this government we have gone from the DEP to the DEWCP to the
DOE and now we have the DEC. People in these departments must be
exhausted and must be wondering who they are working for.

Mr Llewellyn voiced concerns about the autonomy and funding of the
Environmental Protection Authority under the new arrangements.

"It is paramount, particularly in economic boom times, that our
environmental umpire is independently resourced. Under no circumstances
should their funding be jeopardised by any cost shifting within the new
department". 

"We don't need another big structural change to the public service.
We should be getting on with the job of looking after our
environment," said Mr Llewellyn. 

For more information contact: 

Paul Llewellyn MLC		9848 1555; 0428 317 182
pllewellyn at mp.wa.gov.au 
Sally Haigh 		9486 8070 shaigh at mp.wa.gov.au   


Sally Haigh
Research Officer
for Paul Llewellyn MLC
(08) 9486 8070 
fax (08) 9486 8010
0422 509 208
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