After recent notification her long term efforts have paid off with the Labor Party having committed to introducing legislation to establish an Independent Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton is calling on the LNP to also commit should they form government.
“My community respect, and are passionate about, the environment. That is reflected in its Biosphere Reserve status and the efforts over decades to protect its unique assets,” she said.
“Yet over the last three years, we have seen a catastrophic increase in dust, noise, damage to infrastructure and wildlife, and danger to road users and residents through an inappropriate volume of heavy haulage through our Noosa villages with no action through our environmental protection system to mitigate this.”
The Sunshine Coast Environment Council also welcomed this election commitment from the recent government to bolster environmental protection, accountability and decision-making.
“Along with our fellow conservation and natural resource management groups we look forward to this independent agency playing a key role in environmental protection and regulation,” they said in a statement released last Friday. “Sandy Bolton MP has led the political charge as she understood its importance from the outset.”
An IEPA is a stand-alone body for the enforcement of environmental laws. Queensland is the only state in Australia not to have an independent EPA.
Since 2021 Ms Bolton has been pressuring the government to legislate for an agency which has the potential to provide another avenue to resolve local environmental issues such as the trauma being experienced by hinterland residents affected by heavy haulage.
The Queensland Conservation Council said an IEPA would play a crucial role in cracking down on the state’s rampant environmental crime, including wide scale illegal deforestation. Over the past four years, 152,100 hectares of unexplained and potentially illegal land clearing has taken place in Queensland – including 8000 hectares of endangered forest. QCC are also calling for the LNP to match the commitment to introduce a well-resourced independent EPA, with teeth, ahead of the state election
The North Queensland Conservation Council echoed their sentiment, with coordinator Crystal Falknau saying the announcement was long overdue. “Queensland desperately needs an independent agency with the authority needed to make the tough calls,” she said.
Ms Bolton also advocated for the Minister for the Environment to have increased powers. In a speech in Parliament on the Environmental Protection Bill this year, Ms Bolton shared the community’s frustration that the recommendations in the 2022 independent review for environmental protection enforcement and compliance had not been adopted fully within the Bill.
“Since giving that speech where I raised the issue of the Bill not fully implementing the original recommendation in relation to the powers of the Chief Executive to amend Environmental Authorities, clarity has been provided. This that the existing processes and new ones combined, address the full recommendation. So why did I have a question mark? Because until we ‘test’ this, there are no assurances that it will achieve what is sought by communities impacted by environmental authorities that are no longer ‘fit for purpose’, including those that allow devastation to residents, wildlife and our environment,” Ms Bolton said.
The Kin Kin Quarry is an example of where an environmental authority (EA) is issued for small development that then allows for an unacceptable expansion if it is the same type of development, without triggering a review of the EA in any form, she said.
“An EA should deal with all impacts, not just those inside the permit area, and include wildlife carnage, social and economic impacts on residents, and the mental and physical health of communities,” Ms Bolton said.
