The ACT Greens are alarmed by Labor's inaction on climate change and nature restoration, saying work in progress when Greens previously held the portfolios have ground to a halt.
Following questioning in Budget Estimates on Friday from the ACT Greens, it was uncovered that the ACT Labor Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water has no vision and is dragging her feet on climate action.
ACT Greens Leader and former Minister for Energy, Water and Emissions Reduction, Shane Rattenbury said one thing Labor can do to show they are taking climate action seriously is to progress the next ACT Climate Change Strategy, given the current one ends this year.
"The next strategy should be almost ready to launch but the Labor Minister couldn't provide any clear update on where it's up to, or when we might see it," Mr Rattenbury said.
"There is no excuse. Towards the end of my term as Minister, I instructed the Directorate to prepare options for the development of the new Climate Change Strategy for consideration by the incoming Minister in November 2024.
"It usually takes about 12 months to prepare, consult and then get Cabinet approval for a new strategy. Nine months later and we still can't get a timeline.
"During the hearings, the Head of ACT Climate Change Council, Arnagretta Hunter, said that Canberra needs to plan for 55 degree days. We know more extreme weather events are coming and that we need to better equip Canberra to remain resilient in the face of these threats.
"At the election Labor promised almost nothing on climate action, but did say there would be 'no backwards steps'. Clearly they also meant no steps forward."
ACT Greens Deputy Leader Jo Clay said Labor is going backwards on environmental care, and that the green spaces and key environmental areas that currently make Canberra a great place for people, animals and plants, will further decline without major ongoing investments in nature.
"Environment is clearly at the bottom of ACT Labor's list of priorities. In the hearings they doubled down saying they won't boost much-needed funding for environment and nature care delivered by environmental volunteers," Ms Clay said.
"These are the organisations that maintain Canberra's green spaces, keep nature thriving across our suburbs and generate a strong sense of community, belonging and mental wellbeing across the ACT.
"Just a few months ago, in their Close to the Edge report, the ACT's Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment damned the "demonstrably inadequate" environmental funding from ACT Government.
"The report stated 'It is therefore hard to take the view that biodiversity protection is a genuine priority for the ACT.'
"I had hoped Labor's new Environment Minister would take the Commissioner's recommendations seriously, but it's clear that is not the case.
"The Greens are still driving environmental protection from the crossbench this term, with the Labor Government sitting in the back seat.
"It's only because of Greens work alongside the community that the ACT will set an urban growth boundary, fund efforts to save the Canberra Earless Dragons from extinction, protect all of Bluetts Block and recognise the environmental, cultural and agricultural values of the Western Edge and Eastern Broadacre areas."
