What the Federal Budget means for Queensland’s nature and climate

Tonight's Federal Budget injects $3 billion into green aluminium and iron, that should flow through to delivering for Queensland industry and communities while reducing climate pollution.

Australia's native plants, animals and marine species have also received a $250 million funding boost. While welcome, this figure is nowhere near the amount necessary to prevent the extinctions the Albanese Government has committed to ending.

Queensland Conservation Council Director Dave Copeman says

The significant investment in green metals through the Future Made in Australia fund is essential to ensure the future of Queensland’s regions and our exports.

We have to end and replace the coal and gas exports that drive climate change to the transition minerals like copper, vanadium, cobalt, and green aluminium and iron processed with renewable energy.

The $2 billion Green Aluminium Production Credit and the $1 billion Green Iron Investment Fund are both essential signals for Queensland’s export future, and our regional economies. We call on the Opposition to commit to match this funding.

We welcome the commitment this week of $250 million for expanding protected areas in the Saving Australia’s Bushland program.

We will be pushing for Queensland to receive a significant proportion of this investment, given protected areas still only make up some 8% of Queensland.

This investment is a start, but it is also inadequate to honor the promise that the Albanese Government made to end extinctions. We have been calling for 1% of the Federal Budget to be invested in nature restoration and protection, which would equate to $7 billion in this year's budget.

This is the scale of investment necessary to reach our commitments to protect and restore 30% of Australia’s land and waters, and to provide for the investments in recovery plans and restoration actions necessary to end extinctions in Australia.

Today, the day of the Budget, we saw the Albanese Government pass a bill that would enable an extinction.

It prevents the Environment Minister from reconsidering a decision to allow the expansion of salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour. We are worried that this legislative change could harm Queensland's threatened species, by allowing destructive actions to continue even where new scientific evidence indicates it is having a significant impact.

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