Call for Senate enquiry into water

Australian Democrat's Senator for Queensland, Andrew Bartlett, has called for a Senate Inquiry into water management in Australia. The federal and state governments are in discussions about water management arrangements in a last minute panic instigated by a crisis that consecutive Australian governments have precipitated by their environmental negligence. This situation, according to Senator Bartlett, is potentially a recipe for rash and ill-considered solutions.

"There was a serious lack of consultation during the development phase, with stakeholders such as the Murray-Darling Basin Commission and experts in the field left on the sidelines, and this is continuing to happen. The Murray-Darling Basin Commission has been forced to write letters to the Prime Minister outlining concerns because he refuses to consult properly."

"I will push to refer the federal government's water plan to a Senate Inquiry for thorough examination if the states give the deal the go ahead."

The Senate can play a constructive role in consulting widely and recommending sensible suggestions into the water management debate. The current sidelining of the Senate by the Government is missing opportunities to make parliament work effectively for the country on important matters, such as water management. particularly when the politicians with the most experience in environmental issues, The Greens and the Australian Democrats, can fully participate if the Senate is involved through an inquiry.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, Water, Environment

Cut Australia's Carbon Emissions

It is time to do more about cutting Australia's green house gas emissions. Australia has one of the highest, if not the highest, carbon emissions per capita and the low costs of electricity today is mortgaging our children's future.

We need to put in place policies to reduce and offset carbon emissions, especially from coal-fired power stations. While the Australian Democrats have been calling for such a move for many years the current federal coalition government is sitting on its hands. Many state Labor governments are taking moves to address the situation but not in an overly coordinated way. For example, the NSW government has initiated an emissions trading scheme and the Queensland government is investing $300 million in research and development in "clean" coal.

Carbon trading can work now to encourage a reduction in overall green house gas levels, however, it does enable polluters to side-step their obligations to some extent. Clean coal research is necessary but will take at least ten years to begin to make an impact and is still not a renewable energy source. Wind, solar and hydro power schemes are renewable but at present not scalable to take sufficient load off Australia's reliance on coal-fired power stations.

We need political leadership (rather than the current recalcitrance) at the federal level to pursue a balanced and coordinated approach, both across the country and across the variety of strategies that will address the problem. We also need to understand that there must be some sacrifice in regard electricity and other fuel costs because we are on borrowed time and not paying the full costs. It may well be possible to offset these additional costs with savings through energy efficiency and minimising energy use.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, Carbon Trading, Clean Coal

Further support for Biodiesel amendment

In a show of support for Senator Lyn Allison's proposed amendment to the fule tax bill before the Australian parliament, the Coalition Senator Barnaby Joyce says he will cross the floor and support the Democrats amendment to provide greater tax rebates for farmers who purchase biodiesel. This underscores the sense of the Australian Democrats amendments and their general position on supporting environmentally and economically sensible energy policy (as discussed in an earlier post). Unfortunatly, even the defection of a government Senator may be to no avail (and perhaps hints at grandstanding) given that the opposition Labour party intend to support the Government on this bill; simply underscoring the fact that there is no choice between major parties on the majority of issues.

Technorati Tags: Australian politics, Australian Democrats, alternative fuel

Proposed Fuel Tax Bill limits uptake of alternative fuels

The federal government is introducing a fuel tax bill that has incentives on fuels the wrong way around. Instead of encouraging alternative fuels, such as bio-fuels, it is reducing the incentives for them. This will increase the cost of bio fuels and other alternative engery sources and have the duel negative effects of promoting the continued polution of our world through fossule fuel usage, and of harming the already struggling growth of the Australian alternative fuel industry. It is also a hit on Australian farmers who produce the raw products for our bio-fuels. As Senator Lyn Allison remarks:

"It makes no sense to cripple this renewable fuel industry at a time when Australia faces higher and higher oil imports. Australia is a backwater in promoting alternative fuels and this is either a very clumsy mistake or another sop to the big oil companies."

Bad all round it seems - unless you are an oil company.

Technorati Tags: australian politics, Australian Democrats, alternative fuel

Water wise

Australia, perhaps more than many nations, has a limited water supply that is under increased pressure from population expansion and drought possibly exasibated by global warming. In Queensland the state government has proposed to build new dams to help ensure a consistent water supply. While it is a good idea to sure up water supplies one of the dam sites, at Mary River near Gympie, seems to be an odd choice and has struck much local opposition. Senator Andrew Bartlet recently toured the area and concludes in his blog that flooding this area is not a sound plan environmentally, socially or financially. While the local governments in South East Queensland have taken significant measures to reduce water consumption there are still many measures that can be used to make more efficient use of water, such as household water tanks and reusing grey water. If the state government is spend money on water infrastructure then it maybe better spent on water recycling and treatment facilities, repairing and improving water pipes and water ways. While some dams are necessary they are expensive undertakings, and it seems that too often governments look for silver bullet solutions, such as dams, without taking the trouble to find creative, efficient and imaginative solutions. There are some exceptions such as the federal governments community water grants scheme and there are other members of the Queensland parliament that have an e-petition to save the Mary River area from being dammed.

Technorati Tags: politics, Australian Democrats

Renewable power not nuclear power

Australia is in the grips of a revitalised Nuclear energy debate. If only we would spend as much political, intellectual and media energy on encouraging renewable energy sources we might make progress toward a sustainable future.

"The nuclear power debate in not only about economics but whether Australians want a nuclear power plant in their backyard or solar power on their roofs and wind turbines on the hills." Democrats Leader Senator Lyn Allison said today.

The Australian Democrats have long been supporters of renewable energies, and the idea of poluting the world with more nuclear waste that will be around for centuries to come, seems somehow obsene.

It is a pitty that most people might see that we are forced to accept nuclear power now as other carbon fuels run out. It's not too late to look to bio-fules, wind, solar and so on, as Lyn suggests.

Technorati Tags: politics, Australian Democrats, nuclear