Environment
All Australians have a right to participate in decision making on all environmental issues and proposals that impact on the environment and our climate. The RepresentUs movement believes we all have a responsibility to ensure our environment is protected for future generations. The RepresentUs movement will provide opportunities for equal participation in decision making on issues that impact on our environment by providing access to information and evidence based science - without bias - in our media and in our educational institutions. The RepresentUs movement affirms that a healthy and sustainable environment requires all of us to participate in the conservation and protection of our water, air and habitat diversity. Protection of these aspects of our Common Wealth benefits us all and supports the fundamental rights of all Australians and all global citizens to water, food, shelter and transport.
The RepresentUs movement acknowledges the interconnectedness of biodiversity and habitat protection with the availability of clean water, nutritious food and climate stability. Happy, healthy and safe communities are built on the solid foundations provided by well managed environmental and climate sustainability. Energy efficient homes, workplaces and shared community spaces utilising renewable energy and reducing waste protects biodiversity and us.
The RepresentUs movement will ensure that all our actions and policies support these rights and allow adaption to sustain best practice and embrace new technology and innovation that enhances and preserves our environment for our children - and their children - into the future. We will do this by making sure that:
- A National Environment Act will be ratified at the earliest possible time in our Common Wealth Parliament to support the formation of, (and resourcing of) an independent National Environment Agency that will have oversight of national water, energy, waste, all agricultural and aquaculture policies. This independent agency will work closely with the Australian Independent Commission Against Political Corruption
- Support the growth of carbon neutural initiatives especially in the areas of the built environment and transport
- Invest in renewable energy and decentralised energy grids that will create and support both economic opportunities and carbon neutral communities, thus ensuring affordable and reliable energy
- Invests in the conservation and protection of our fresh water and national river systems
- All Australians have a right and access to relevant environmental information. This will include significant participation in decision making and justice on all environmental issues and proposals that impact on the environment - particularly in the regional communities
- Any activity which negatively impacts on the sustainability of the water supply or water tables will be phased out or banned
- Water conservation will be given priority over exports of agricultural produce
- Non-recyclable packaging will be discouraged, e.g. through the tax system, via a returnable container deposit scheme, direct ban, etc.
- Investment will be made to establish and operate a national research centre dedicated to environmental rehabilitation and reclamation. Research from this centre will inform many of the projects run as part of the job guarantee scheme
- All tiers of government will be encouraged and supported to include environmental objectives in their local, regional and state/territory economic and social plans
- Foreigners will not be allowed to mine for export unless it serves the benefit of the Australian public
