The Turnbull Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund is helping Australia play its part in tackling climate change while also delivering significant environmental co-benefits for the Great Barrier Reef.
In what is a strong endorsement by Labor of the Coalition’s climate change policy, the Queensland Labor Government has formed a partnership with GreenCollar to take advantage of the Emissions Reduction Fund, especially in high priority catchment areas of the Great Barrier Reef.
The third Emissions Reduction Fund auction results were announced last week and it’s great news for the Great Barrier Reef.
Based on the average auction price, contracts for the alliance total $209.7 million.
Labor has finally realised the significant climate and environmental benefits of the Turnbull Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund.
Back in March, Queensland Labor Minister Steven Miles said it was:
“a great opportunity to maximize the potential environmental benefits of ERF projects”
“not only is it a way to sequester carbon in vegetation and soils but we can also meet other environmental objectives at the same time, in areas like biodiversity conservation, water quality, land stabilisation and integrating sustainable agriculture practices across project sites to ensure resilience and productivity.”
For Dr Miles to now claim he’s against the fund, after accepting the money, is breathtaking in its hypocrisy.
I challenge Steven Miles and Bill Shorten to indicate whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing to be rehabilitating reef catchments and reducing runoff while also reducing emissions.
I also challenge Bill Shorten to declare whether he will maintain or axe these Queensland Labor projects.
The Coalition is acting to protect the reef and the ERF is on top of the additional $171 million announced in the Budget.