MEDIA RELEASE
9 March 2022 

Big policy gap emerges as parties chase nature and climate vote

A wide-ranging alliance of 24 environmental groups has released a scorecard on the performance of Liberal, Labor, SA Best and the Greens based on their commitments to protect South Australia’s climate and environment if elected on March 19.

This alliance of organisations will distribute the scorecard across key electorates so that voters are informed about where the parties stand, and factor nature, climate action, cleaner waste, transport, and energy into their decision about who will represent them in State Parliament.

The South Australia: Our Future scorecard is the result of a detailed survey that focused on 71 key issues and a series of candidate forums across key electorates. 

Despite some welcome achievements over the last four years, including banning single use plastics, support for batteries and other energy transition strategies, and celebrated increases in protected areas such as Australia’s largest National Park in the Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert, the Liberal party has surprisingly decided not to respond directly to the questions asked by the Alliance and provide commitments on what they will deliver in a next term of government.

This is in marked contrast to four years ago when, in the lead up to the 2018 election, the Marshall-led opposition made a series of strong commitments, while the Labor government chose to rest more on their record in government. The situation has now reversed.

The Alliance’s ranking of parties and candidates is based on an assessment of commitments made for the next term of government, not on past records or achievements.  As a result, a big gap has emerged between the Liberal and Labor parties when it comes to what they have each promised to deliver for the environment over the next four years. 

Quotes on the performance of the parties on key issues:

‘South Australia is home to some of the world's most important remaining wilderness areas. It’s encouraging to see Labor, SA Best and the Greens all acknowledge this and commit to a state-wide wilderness assessment and investigating further protection for places like the Lake Eyre Basin and the Great Australian Bight’ - Peter Owen, Director, The Wilderness Society (SA)

‘Our big trees are disappearing fast from our suburbs, and we need changes to South Australia’s tree protections laws, which are now amongst Australia’s weakest. Our big trees are so important – to our mental health, our wellbeing, our habitat and wildlife and our character – it is time to recognise them as friend, not foe!'  - Daniel Bennett, President, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

‘The next two years will be make or break for the Murray Darling as the Basin Plan wraps up in 2024. Now, more than ever we need a strong SA Government willing to stand up to upstream states and support voluntary open-tender buybacks to recovery the inevitable shortfall in water recovery. The environment and basin communities will suffer unless the Plan is implemented on time and in full’ – Kate McBride, Healthy Rivers Campaigner, Conservation SA

‘The South Australian Outback is a place of wonder and ecological importance. The Liberals remain intent on stripping back protection for our Outback and sidelining all other land uses other than running livestock – locking out tourism and public visitation, making nature conservation illegal and ignoring the rights and interests of First Nations people. By contrast, the Labor party has committed to funding to support proper oversight of the Outback, which would give pastoralists greater certainty without stripping out the protections this unique and fragile environment needs. The difference between the major parties on this issue, which impacts 40% of our state, will be a deciding factor for many voters on election day’ - Associate Professor Patrick O’Connor, President, Nature Conservation Society of SA

‘The opposition of SA Labor and the SA Greens to the federal plan for a national nuclear waste dump in SA is welcome. Sadly, the Marshall government is siding with its federal colleagues instead of standing up for SA and supporting Barngarla Traditional Owners and Kimba farmers opposed to the unsafe, unwanted, unnecessary nuclear dump’ - Dr. Jim Green, national nuclear campaigner, Friends of the Earth

‘Adelaide's mature tree canopy is disappearing at an alarming rate.  Much more needs to be done to ensure that mature trees in our urban environment are properly protected.  We need an urgent review of the impacts of planning policy and regulations on our trees and green space’ – Darren Peacock, Chief Executive, National Trust (SA)

‘Over the past 40 years, children walking and cycling to school has declined from 75 percent to 25 percent. As physical activity levels decrease, not only do children experience a myriad of problems associated with loss of physical health, but we have also seen levels of anxiety and depression in young people skyrocket. This decline in active travel is mirrored by an increase in private car ownership and usage. The staggering majority of transport funding in South Australia is allocated to make it easy to drive. We won’t see a change in travel mode choice until our government provides significantly more investment in safe, enjoyable, connected infrastructure for walking and cycling to give people the freedom to choose to walk or ride’ -  Dr Helen Donovan, Executive Director, Walking SA

‘With strong support across the political spectrum, South Australia is now a world leader in clean, renewable energy.   So far, though, we are not seeing the same leadership from Liberal and Labor on reducing the rapidly increasing climate pollution from our transport sector, nor keeping dirty fossil fuels in the ground’ – Craig Wilkins, Chief Executive, Conservation SA

‘Now is the time to invest in the natural environment on which large parts of our economy and wellbeing depend. Our ask of $1 billion dollars to be invested in nature is urgent and delay is economically inefficient. Sadly, neither major party appears ready to recognise the opportunities and efficiencies of investing now to avoid higher repair costs in a few years. The proposed expenditure is only 5% of planned spending on roads and other services over the coming few years. A genuine commitment to protecting our natural world and our wellbeing in it is well overdue’ – Julia Peacock, Nature Advocate, Nature Conservation Society of SA

RELEASE ENDS