BIG ISSUES OF 2012

Murray-Darling Basin Plan - we are hearing that the rivers are back to robust health and bird and fish life is thriving – the best for over 20 years. So why do we need to further cut irrigation allowances ask the rowdy meetings in Griffith and elsewhere in the Murrumbidgee catchment? Because 20 years is too long to wait for a good drink.

Extraction of water and construction of dams for irrigation has massively reduced the mid-range floods that kept key areas wet and sustained. Much of the floodplain and wetlands were in a dire, dry state – close to collapse. And the Murray’s salt burden and low flows were intolerable when they entered South Australia.

Whether the politics will align is the crucial question. All previous attempts have seen the triumph of parochialism, both state and irrigation based, to the detriment of an historic and holistic response. The behaviour of NSW and Victoria in 2012 will be watched closely as they jockey to make political capital for the Coalition, and retain their state based systems that have failed to bring about a healthy environment.

Carbon price implemented - and defended in the runup to the federal election.  It’s not just scepticism about human induced climate change (with its confected arguments about volcanoes, implied snapshots of cool weeks or days as long term trends and the ‘harmless’ gas called carbon dioxide) but a powerful resistance to letting the greenies into the sacred centre of government economic policy.   Big industry has never liked being challenged on particular projects – but to see regulation by a systemic instrument that could affect every decision, is beyond the pale.  

Bet you'll see more growling about government getting in the way of economic progress. 

Dig up the coal and drill the gas - the age old refrain from mining is that it can coexist with agriculture and the environment. Not everywhere! - and maybe the regulatory system is catching up - with new federal and state arrangements.

There is a common call for high value agricultural lands and environmental areas to be off-limits to the miners. 2012 will see if land use planning can be strategic and sensitive to risk, not driven by a first come, first served approach that insists the industry can manage risk in all our most valuable places.

Getting tough on polluters - perhaps surprisingly the conservative governments of Victoria and NSW have moved to take a tougher stance on industrial pollution. During 2011 environment protection authorities were upgraded with stronger laws and greater independence. Industry did not expect more regulation - traditionally their lighter regulation approach is endorsed by the Liberal party.

The rolling pollution incidents from Orica produced an irresistible momentum in NSW. How this new relationship in our two most industrialised states works out in 2012 will be a test of both coalition governments’ commitment to a new era of eliminating air and water pollution as undoubtedly business will assert that too much action will damage their financial viability.  What about the viability of the environment and people's health?

Recycling gets a lift? - the container deposits battle comes to a climax.  There have been repeated calls since 1974 but this year may end the 38 year war.  And watch out for a renewed debate about waste-to-energy.  It's not recycling but a single reuse lower down in the waste hierarchy - big waste companies are preparing their plans.

Expect to see TEC active on all these issues and more.

www.tec.org.au

Your Subscription: