Opposition leader Peter Dutton issues dire warning over climate target legislation

Opposition leader Peter Dutton believes the legislation of climate targets will make major infrastructure projects vulnerable to legal attacks from activists.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has issued a dire warning that Labor is “making a bad situation worse” by legislating emissions targets, potentially allowing radical activists to sue to shut down everything from cattle farms to road upgrades on the grounds of climate change.

“The experience overseas has shown that legislating emissions targets hands control over major infrastructure projects to green activists,” said Mr Dutton.

“This would be a disaster for jobs and investment in Australia.”

“They are making a bad situation worse.”

Mr Dutton, whose Coalition did not support climate legislation passed last week, warned that once targets became law local activists would follow the example set by environmentalists overseas to try to stop the government from financing or supporting a range of critical projects.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton believes the legislation of climate targets makes important projects vulnerable to attack by environmental activists. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Most vulnerable would be projects backed by government agencies such as the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund, Infrastructure Australia, and Export Finance Australia which will by law have to take emissions targets into account.

These include exploratory gas drilling in the Beetaloo Basin, emissions intensive beef processing facilities, and regional roads, airports, and ports.

Thirty environment, union and community groups rallied again in Sydney’s Town Hall today calling for an immediate stop to the expansion of fossil fuel mining planned across Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Projects countering China’s economic and strategic influence were also cited as at risk of lawsuits mounted under climate legislation.

These include a $2 billion Critical Minerals Facility established by the Morrison government and a fuel terminal tank in Fiji designated as part of Australia’s Pacific ‘step up’.

Overseas, activists have used legislated climate targets to delay the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport and as well as attempt to stop a new high speed rail network in the UK.

In Germany, activists sued to force the government to adopt even more stringent climate targets while in France courts have been used to threaten penalties against the government if they did not take all necessary measures on climate change.

Mr Dutton warned against Labor’s “very dangerous path”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

“While the Prime Minister says that he has ended the climate wars, it’s really just the start of your gas and electricity prices going up and up,” said Mr Dutton.

“Amid a cost of living crisis, Labor is taking us down a very dangerous path where you are going to see much higher electricity prices, much higher gas prices, and greater unreliability in the system.

“Labor’s legislation will also make it harder for agencies like the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), Export Finance Australia (EFA) and Infrastructure Australia (IA) to support job-creating projects in the energy, resources, agricultural and transport sectors,” he said.

Last week climate legislation holding the country to a 43 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030 was passed by the lower house.

The target is expected to become law when parliament next meets in September.