The Berejiklian Government Just Stepped Up Its War On The Environment
Insiders are concerned it'll spell the end for a range of key green programs in NSW.
Almost every single day, more evidence amasses to suggest that climate change is the defining issue of our time. Yet, despite the potential of a forthcoming environmental apocalypse, the Gladys Berejiklian led state NSW government has gutted a key environmental office a few weeks out from winning the election.
For years, The Office of Environment and Heritage has sought to secure NSW’s future as an eco-friendly state. The office implements wildlife rehabilitation services, co-ordinates bush regeneration, and provides the public with handy, easy to access information concerning local natural wonders.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her new ministry at NSW Government House.
Five women out of 24 ministers – in two thousand and freakin nineteen.
Do better L/NP – for women and diverse voices.
Photo: AAP#nswpol pic.twitter.com/NOcdCnzcf9— Amanda Keeling (@AmandaKeeling) April 2, 2019
But now, the office has been gutted, and will be folded into a much larger cluster of planning bodies. As a result, staff fear that many of them will be laid off and the office will be downsized — although nothing has been formally announced yet concerning staffing. Regardless, many are concerned that the office will now become a small fish in a big pond, unable to keep up with the full range of services it once provided.
Moreover, the Office of Environment will now be streamlined with Planning, in the belief that this will mean the two departments can better liaise with one another. But, as The Sydney Morning Herald reports, current OoE staff members are worried that this will mean the end to the oversight that the office has carefully maintained.
Gladys Berejiklian is abolishing the Office of Environment and Heritage and insiders are concerned it’ll see more developments with environmental impacts get approval via @AAPNewswire https://t.co/yd5bho53K0
— Dominica Sanda (@dominikasanda) April 2, 2019
Berejiklian has already sought to assure the public that this move will only help with the maintaining of good environmental practices. According to the Premier, the newly relocated office will have a “prominent place within Planning to make sure every decision we take considers the environment — whether it’s [in] the urban context or the regional.”
Nonetheless, for many, the decision to gut one of the most respected environmental bodies in the state is a deeply symbolic blow; proof that the Berejiklian government consider the maintaining of the State’s natural environment considerably low on their list of priorities.