Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the work being undertaken by both the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Minister for the Environment and Water in the Albanese Labor government. Both of these ministers are working hard on issues that I know people in my electorate care critically about, and those, of course, are the issues of our planet and the impacts of climate change. I want to pay tribute, firstly, to the minister for the environment for the Nature Positive Plan that she is implementing for our country. Stage 1 of that is, of course, the Nature Repair Market scheme. Stage 2 is legislation in front of the parliament at the moment around the national EPA—that is, Environment Protection Australia—and Environment Information Australia, so that we can continue our work to ensure that we have, as a country, a positive plan for nature in this country.

Of course, part of the job of the minister for the environment is around giving approval for projects, and, as the minister, the member for Sydney, has said repeatedly in question time, the Labor Party are doing approvals for renewable energy that are outstripping approvals for coal seam gas seven to one. Under the former government, approvals for renewables versus coal and gas were even, across 10 years. We have ramped up the approvals for renewables thanks to the hard work of these two ministers—one working, obviously, with the energy sector, in the transition, and the other working tirelessly in the approvals. Part of that work has also been getting those approvals done more quickly and more efficiently after a lag time that had stretched out under the previous government. They are both part of a team committed to responsible environmental management and action on climate change, which means creating a new energy system for our nation. That includes renewables. That includes not just the wind and not just solar but looking into green energy wherever we can.

What are we getting from those opposite? A commitment to a nuclear plan that is going to cost too much and take too long. What will that leave us with? That'll leave us with another 10-year vacuum, while people twiddle their thumbs and allow the climate change crisis to deepen and worsen. This is a government committed to action now, not in 10 years. This is a government that doesn't want to waste another decade, like happened last time those opposite took power in this country. I know that in my community these are critical matters. These are matters that young people and families in my community care critically about, and I know they join me in congratulating the two ministers responsible for the plan.

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