This Government cut funding to the environment department by 40 per cent. That led to massive delays in decision making. 
 
In one of the most damning reports delivered by the ANAO, the Auditor General found that 79 per cent of approvals were non-compliant or contained errors, there was a 510 per cent blow out in the time taken to make project approval decisions, and in one year 95 per cent of key decisions were made later than required by law.
 
Since then, the Morrison-Joyce Government has attempted to rehash Tony Abbott’s failed 2014 bill, which would hand over environmental decision making powers to the states without providing any additional resources or safeguards.
 
Today’s funding announcement is not an environmental policy, but rather an admission that previous funding cuts have led to delays in projects, jobs and investment.
 
Federal Labor wants to see better decision making and strong environmental protections.
 
The Morrison-Joyce Government has had nearly a decade to come up with environmental reform, but rather than coming to the table with a serious response to the Samuel Review, they want a pat on the back for doing the basics.
 
TUESDAY, 15 MARCH 2022