Waiting for environmental leadership from the new federal government

After over two weeks of political uncertainty, the Wilderness Society welcomes the new Gillard Government, formed with the support of Independents and The Greens, as a great opportunity for environmental leadership in our country.

Wenlock River, Cape York. Photo by Kerry Trapnell.

As a first step, we are calling on the new Parliament to take a reality check on the question of federal intervention on Queensland’s wild rivers laws.

Many voters prioritised the environment with their vote this election, despite the major parties missing in action when it came to environment policy. As a result, The Greens have had their first member elected to the House of Representatives in a general election, the Greens now hold the balance of power in the Senate, and key Independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott both cited climate change action as a big influence on their decision to back a Gillard government

Australia’s new parliament has been told the environment is a priority we cannot ignore. 

The surge in support for the Greens across the country shows people want to see action on climate change, nature conservation and other environmental priorities.

With both the Labor and Liberal parties going missing-in-action during the federal election campaign, the Wilderness Society asked people to send a message to the major parties demanding strong environment policies.  We know that via our website alone, over three thousand supporters sent e-mails to Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Bob Brown demanding that our politicians commit to the strong environment policies Australia needs.

With the shape of the new government, the alliance with the Greens, and the commitment to move on climate change policy, the Wilderness Society looks forward to an Australian Government with a far stronger focus on the environment.

The Wilderness Society will continue to advocate for environment protection, to promote its policies and priorities in the new parliamentary term. These include ending native forest logging, protecting our unique natural ecosystems and marine environments, supporting Indigenous conservation, stopping the gas hub development in the Kimberley, and securing World Heritage listing for Cape York Peninsula.


We encourage all the political parties to develop better environmental policies and positions, and  for the new Parliament to show its commitment to the environment . One immediate opportunity includes keeping Queensland’s wild rivers laws in place, despite attacks by conservative politicians from Tony Abbott down.