This week we saw another mass fish kill in the Murray-Darling on the Morrison Government’s watch. This is our river system in environmental collapse. Cotton, corporate greed and climate change are killing the River and all the Minister can say is ‘pray for rain’.

The Federal Government’s response is to back the NSW Government’s plan to fast-track the building of dams by watering down environmental rules. All evidence shows spending more public money on these dams will only deliver more water for big corporate irrigators. Building dams will not make it rain.

The Senate this week passed a Greens’ motion calling on the Federal Government to rule out giving any public funding to dam and water infrastructure projects that circumvent environmental assessment and don’t abide by proper environmental protections. 

The government also doesn't get the fundamental link between climate change and drought. This was made clear during question time when I asked Senator Bridget McKenzie, Minister for Agriculture, whether she accepts the science and acknowledges the link between climate change and drought. Having a drought plan without a plan to address climate change is no plan at all.

Legislation tabled in the NSW Parliament on Wednesday effectively tears up the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, leaving the environment and downstream communities high and dry. I’ve written to Basin State Water Ministers urging them to convene a COAG (Council of Australian Governments) meeting to deal with this threat to the Plan by NSW. The NSW Government cannot be allowed to get away with this short-sighted response to the drought crisis that will further jeopardise the health of the River and all those who rely upon it.

When it comes to the drought and saving our Murray River, the Feds’ plan is as good as shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic. I’ll be raising this in Senate Estimates next week, and making sure corporate greed doesn’t win out over SA’s and the River’s best interests. 

The Murray-Darling Basin is in crisis. The environment is in collapse. Communities are on the brink of having no clean drinking water. Family farms have their backs against the wall. And the water minister says he doesn't even believe in climate change. He says he can't do anything except pray for rain. When will the Morrison government get its head out of the sand on climate change and come to tackle the drought and fix the Murray-Darling Basin, rather than just praying for rain and giving communities your hopes and prayers?

The Coalition has had six years in government and instead of implementing the Murray Darling Basin Plan to ensure it’s managed in the worst times, it’s completely messed it up. The Water Minister claims he can’t make it rain therefore he can’t do anything to help. The Environment Minister says she can’t do anything to look after the environment. This is a total cop-out!

Our river is in crisis, small family farms are suffering and a growing number of River communities don’t even have clean water to drink. There is plenty the Minsters can do, and they must act now. Failing to crack down on those exploiting the water market or harvesting flood-plain water upstream will make the crisis facing the River and farmers worse.

I’m not surprised that eight in ten Australians (81%) are concerned about climate change resulting in more droughts and flooding, as discovered in the annual ‘Climate of the Nation’ benchmark report which was released today by The Australia Institute. 

The report has tracked Australian attitudes on climate change for over a decade and found that South Australians are more concerned about climate change than the national average, particularly in relation to water shortages, extreme weather and poor crop production.

National Threatened Species Day - is a day to raise awareness and demand action for plants and animals at risk of extinction before it's too late. 

Australia has one of the worst extinction rates in the world - Over the last 200 years, more than 100 animal and plant species have become extinct. It is a national disgrace. 

Our native species are up against it all - climate change, an extinction crisis and ignorant governments.  

Did you see our ad in the paper yesterday?

Today the Senate has began debating a Greens Bill to stop drilling in the Great Australian Bight and move for World Heritage Listing.

The power to stop Big Oil is in the hands of politicians in Canberra. Australian’s don’t want drilling in the Great Australian Bight. The Parliament must act.