Murray, Watt do you do?

The Hon Murray Watt precocious approved nan hold of nan Scarborough Gas Pipeline. 

Before its caller closure day successful 2070, it’s going to lend an estimated 4.3 cardinal tonnes of c dioxide to nan Earth’s atmosphere. 

For Watt’s first occupation arsenic Australia’s Minister for nan Environment and Water, it seems an overseas choice.

So whose work is it to protect Australia’s situation – and are we immoderate bully astatine it?

REFLECTING ON THE ROLE

The Australian Government introduced an situation curate successful 1971. Since then, location person been 34 ministers and 21 sanction changes. 

These titles person ranged from nan elemental Minister of nan Environment to nan seemingly overworked Minister for Arts, Sport, nan Environment, Tourism and Territories.

Yet since nan preamble of nan situation minister, 23 species person go extinct (or are presently expected to be), Australia’s c dioxide emissions person doubled and our average land and water temperatures proceed to increase.

Caption: Australia’s c dioxide emissions person much than doubled since 1971.
Credit: OurWorldinData (CC BY)

The similarity betwixt each of nan situation ministers and their governments appears to beryllium that they are not fulfilling their work to protect and conserve Australia’s environment. 

TAKING THE LEAD

Dr Justin Alger is simply a elder teacher successful governmental subject astatine nan University of Melbourne. 

In position of work for nan environment, Justin says, “At nan extremity of nan day, nan authorities has really gotta return nan lead connected this.

“Australia’s conservation laws … really let for a sizeable magnitude of elasticity successful really protected areas are managed.

“The sitting situation curate tends to person a batch much power complete nan processes astir and nan implementation of guidance plans for protected spaces.”

These protected spaces see nationalist parks aliases Marine Protected Areas. 

A BALANCING ACT

Being nan situation curate isn’t an easy job. They must equilibrium nan biology and economical needs of nan country.

In an question and reply pinch The Saturday Paper, Watt describes nan domiciled arsenic “a guardian of Australia’s earthy environment”. 

When Labor came into powerfulness successful 2022, they promised overhauls of Australia’s biology laws and a reverse successful nan diminution of Australia’s 110 ‘priority’ type and 20 places. 

The Environment Minister astatine nan clip Tanya Plibersek said, “I will not awkward distant from difficult problems aliases judge biology diminution and extinction arsenic inevitable.”

Caption: Tanya Plibersek was nan Minister of nan Environment earlier Murray Watt.
Credit: Mick Tsikas/AAP Image

Instead, Plibersek approved a caller ember mine and nan hold of 3 others, didn’t reverse nan 110 privilege type and grounded to nutrient biology rule reform. 

Plibersek and nan 32 situation ministers earlier her person often opted for addressing Australia’s biology problems by expanding aliases creating nationalist parks, marine parks aliases World Heritage listed areas. 

It appears Watt’s strategies will beryllium nary different. 

RESERVED RESERVES

After approving nan hold of nan Scarborough Gas Pipeline, Watt announced that Australia would create much marine reserves. 

Justin thinks this is simply a worthy strategy. 

“Setting speech ample tracks of quality – water and terrestrial – is important for ensuring its longevity,” says Justin.

Australia has 1 of nan highest percentages of marine reserves. However, marine reserves don’t hole nan ambiance crisis, and they neglect to protect areas of nan water pinch ample earthy state fields. 

“It’s not conscionable astir creating an area pinch immoderate splashy title,” says Justin.

“It’s astir pursuing done connected them and making judge they’re really protected. Not conscionable successful name, but successful practice.” 

Caption: Australia has various marine reserves pinch different rules and regulations applying to each.
Credit: © Commonwealth of Australia via DCCEEW

IT’S JUST NOT WORKING

Australia has historically been a leader successful conservation, having established nan Great Barrier Reef Marine Park successful 1975. 

But Justin says galore of Australia’s marine parks are classified arsenic ‘mixed use’ truthful each stakeholders tin benefit, whether it’s a commercialized fishery, an lipid and state institution aliases a dive circuit boat.

“It’s benignant of really Australia has managed astir of its marine protected areas for decades. It’s conscionable not working,” says Justin.

“Any clip these stakeholder battles look astir a circumstantial abstraction … nan default is ever to spell backmost to that model of really we tin make it activity for everybody? 

“The reality is that doesn’t needfully activity retired good for nan environment.”

CLEARLY BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

After nan downfalls of erstwhile situation ministers to protect and conserve Aussie animals and landscapes, ‘the fixer’ stepped in. 

Unfortunately, Watt hasn’t fixed it. He approved nan Scarborough Gas Pipeline extension. 

“It is endemic of really nan national authorities successful Australia has tended to negociate marine spaces for decades,” says Justin. 

“It’s apt that nan situation curate knows connected immoderate level that this is not sustainable, that this is not moving towards biology objectives.

“Because it’s intelligibly bad for nan environment.

“There’s ample grounds of ecosystem diminution arsenic a consequence of adjacent commercialized activities. 

“It requires a displacement successful mindset, including of really nan national authorities thinks astir these trade-offs. So far, these trade-offs are focused connected keeping group successful business.”

Caption: The onshore conception of nan North West Shelf project.
Credit: Woodside

OVERESTIMATING OURSELVES

So really does Australia complaint for biology conservation?

“Probably somewhat beneath average,” says Justin. 

“Australia is falling down because of this mixed-use attack to protected space.

“It’s tragic. Iconic biodiversity hotspots successful this state are degrading really quickly – partially because of mismanagement, partially because of ambiance change, which is beyond Australia’s capacity to lick alone.”

Justin says a mindset alteration is necessary.

“We request to alteration nan mindset of really we conserve things and recognising that we request to prioritise it much than we do,” says Justin. 

“Because we aren’t prioritising it arsenic overmuch arsenic we deliberation we are.”