[Greens-Media] Greens: Bill that validates 25 EPA projects approved with conflicted board should never have passed

[Walker, Nadine]

Greens: Bill that validates 25 EPA projects approved with conflicted board should never have passed
Media statement, Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren has labelled yesterday's passing of the Environmental Protection Amendment (Validation) Bill 2014 that retrospectively validate twenty-five projects environmentally approved by a conflicted board of the EPA as 'an unfair rushed bill that should not have come near to passing'. 

"The Greens opposed the Environmental Protection Amendment (Validation) Bill 2014 which passed yesterday.

"It was a sad day not only for environmental protection but also for good governance when the Government retrospectively approved the EPA's meetings including members with declared conflicts of interest. It seems the Barnett Government can make the rules up as they go along. 

"We argued for a better, more open and transparent process which examined the conflicts and their impact on the EPA's decisions. In the case of the Roe 8 decision, we argued that this decision should be excluded from the retrospective process approval. 

"The Greens put forward an amendment to the bill that clarified how questions of bias would be dealt with in potential challenges to decisions by the EPA", said Ms MacLaren. 

"While it may well be more, the identified twenty-five projects over a decade is a complete travesty. How this was allowed to continue for so long brings to question the practices Government have in place to monitor processes that ensure state authorities are not conflicted."

For comment: Hon Lynn MacLaren MLC
Mobile 0403 721 951

Media liaison: Nadine Walker
Mobile 0449 189 195