Your Adelaide Park Lands are listed as a National Heritage place, but until now that has afforded them zero protection from State Government assaults.
However, Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has signalled that might be about to change, under a proposed new Federal Environment Protection Agency.
A 2020 review of Australia’s environmental laws found they were weak and ineffectual. Among other things, the Samuels review said there was no mechanism in current federal laws to address cumulative impacts to the environment or heritage places.
Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek
This was especially relevant for your Adelaide Park Lands which have been, over the years, subject to a never-ending stream of attacks. None of the dozens of relentless Park Lands attacks have ever been assessed as serious enough to trigger federal intervention.
Your Adelaide Park Lands are not on the State Heritage list, even though they’ve been recognised as a National Heritage Place since 2008.
The 2020 Samuels review recommended sweeping changes to protect not only native ecosystems, flora and fauna, but also places of national heritage significance, such as your Adelaide Park Lands.
The former Morrison Liberal Government failed to implement the review’s recommendations.
Now, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has stepped in to announce that new legislation in 2023 will have future decisions on environmental and heritage protection taken out of the political realm, and handed over to a new Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina (Park 15); part of your National Heritage-listed Adelaide Park Lands.
It’s too early to tell whether this will be sufficient to protect your Adelaide Park Lands. Ms Plibersek has left open the possibility that each State Government might obtain accreditation to assess developments on behalf of the Commonwealth, under EPA oversight.
This would be problematic for your Park Lands because the State Government has been the main cause of ongoing Park Lands losses.
The devil will be in the detail, so we will be watching and commenting on any draft legislation before it is dealt with, next year, in the Federal Parliament.
Read more on SBS News: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/federal-epa-will-decide-on-developments/v1jzndn8r
or on The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/dec/08/tanya-plibersek-confirms-new-environmental-protection-agency-to-enforce-conservation-laws
