Following reports that the Federal Government has rejected calls for funding to fight the marine crisis in South Australia, the Greens have today announced they will establish an urgent parliamentary inquiry into the environmental catastrophe.
South Australian Senator and Greens Acting Leader, Sarah Hanson-Young has said the party will move for inquiry as soon a parliament resumes this month.
"Like many South Australians, my weekend beach walks have become exercises in counting dead fish and steering clear of the murky water," Senator Hanson-Young said today.
"Our beaches are now marine graveyards. Littered with dead fish, sea horses and even dolphins. It is an environmental apocalypse. Climate change is here and it's killing nature - polluting our oceans, beaches and waterways.
"News that the Labor Government has rejected the desperate pleas of scientists to take the urgent action required following the mass deaths of marine life in South Australia is an absolute disgrace. $4million a year to help stem the crisis and the government has said 'no'. Every South Australian should be furious.
"I am disgusted that our scientists and experts have been ignored. As soon as parliament resumes I will move for an urgent inquiry into the crisis.
"First it was the South Australian Government telling us that there's nothing they can do and now the Federal Government has joined them, trying to wash their hands of this disaster occurring on our beaches.
"Scientists have long warned us that warming oceans would have major repercussions. It's clear that the climate crisis is here now and washing up on Adelaide beaches.
"We need governments at all levels that will act to take climate change mitigation and adaptation seriously. This is not a far off future problem, the crisis is here and now.
"We cannot prevent future climate disasters until we stop making the problem worse, and that means stopping the opening of new coal and gas mines that are making pollution worse and more deadly.
"The first thing the Environment Minister should be doing is providing the desperately needed $4 million a year to our marine scientists. The next thing he needs to do is to put a climate trigger into our environment laws to ensure that all projects and mines are properly assessed for their pollution and climate impacts."
