All four ACT Greens MLAs will travel to Newcastle this week to join a mass blockade of the world’s largest coal port, accusing Labor and the Liberals of failing to act on climate change.
Party leader Shane Rattenbury, deputy leader Jo Clay, Laura Nuttall, and Andrew Braddock will take part in the Rising Tide protest, which organisers say drew about 7,000 people last year, making it the largest civil disobedience action in Australian history..
Mr Rattenbury said the turnout reflected growing frustration at what he described as Labor’s “two-faced approach” to climate policy: “Promising action on one hand while approving new fossil fuel projects at the same time.”
He criticised federal Labor for accepting fossil-fuel donations and approving new coal and gas projects.
“People are sick of the fat cheques Labor gets from their fossil fuel cronies undermining our democracy and the sustainability of our planet,” he said. “By clinging to a weird internal patriotism about ‘being in power’, Labor convinces itself that climate apathy is acceptable. But holding power is no virtue if you’re selling out our communities and our future — and that’s why so many are attending.”
He said protesters were attending because they believe “it’s the right thing to do”, arguing that the government’s approach amounted to “wishing and hoping” on climate while “our planet is dying”.
Mr Rattenbury also accused the local ACT Government of being “fully complicit”. He pointed to their “failure” update the ACT’s climate strategy and what he called a “blank page” on climate policy in Labor’s platform.
“Here in the ACT, our Climate Minister still won’t call on the federal government to stop approving new coal and gas mines,” Mr Rattenbury said. “Our local government is fully complicit in this slow, insidious slide into climate inaction and they need to step-up. The many Canberrans going to this protest should be a wakeup call for Labor.”
The Conservation Council ACT has formally backed the Newcastle action. Director Dr Simon Copland said those participating were “brave people”:
“Across the country our political leaders continue to support the coal and gas industry by approving new fossil fuel projects and subsidising the industry,” he said. “That means that people have to consistently stand up to this industry.”
Environmental law reforms
Mr Rattenbury’s comments came as federal Labor and the Greens reached a last-minute deal to secure the passage of environment law reforms.
The overhaul will create a National Environment Protection Agency by mid-2026; toughen penalties for breaches; strengthen rules around land clearing and native forest logging; and fast-track major projects. Companies will also be required to disclose projected emissions.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the package as “a great win for the environment and a great win for business”, while Greens senator Larissa Waters said the compromise did not deliver everything her party wanted, but the “package … improves our environmental laws”.
Parliament is expected to finalise the legislation before rising for the summer break.
Dr Copland said the improvements to the EPBC Acts were welcome but went “nowhere near far enough to protect our nature”.
“The initial legislation that the Labor Government introduced to Parliament would have taken our nature backwards, speeding up approvals for fossil fuel projects alongside other destructive projects. Negotiations have fixed many of these problems, but the legislation still does nothing on climate, and protections for our forests and other biodiversity remain weak. While the Government talks up its environmental credentials, it is not following through with real action.”
The ACT Government was asked for comment.
