No green light for merged environment and agriculture portfolios

The Australian Conservation Foundation has condemned Scott Morrison’s decision to merge the environment and agriculture portfolios.

Australian Conservation Foundation campaigns director Paul Sinclair.

The Australian Conservation Foundation has condemned Scott Morrison’s decision to merge the environment and agriculture portfolios, warning green issues were being downgraded “at a time Australia faces an extinction crisis”.

ACF campaigns director Paul Sinclair said there was “significant danger” that breaking up the environment and energy departments would be detrimental to Australia taking action on climate change.

“There are also risks associated with the energy and climate change branches of the Department of Environment and Energy being absorbed into a big new industry and resources portfolio if the resources sector is the dominant voice in policy development,” Dr Sinclair said.

“Protecting our natural world and tackling the climate crisis are the critical issues facing Australia and cannot be left as afterthoughts in public policy.”

Under the shake-up of the public service announced by the Prime Minister on Thursday, the Department of Environment and Energy was broken up, with the former being part of a new department that includes the areas of agriculture and water.

Energy is also part of a new department that includes resources, industry and science. Emissions-reduction policy will come under the remit of energy.

National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson said merging the agriculture and environment departments was “pragmatic” and “incredibly valuable”.

“Farmers manage more than half of Australia’s landscape. Almost all of the policy decisions taken in the environment portfolio impact agriculture,” Ms Simson said.

“The merging of these portfolios will be incredibly valuable in ensuring impact on one area is considered when a decision is taken in another. It is the NFF’s hope the merger will ensure, at a government level, agriculture is entrenched as an active participant in environmental policy.”

The Prime Minister said there would be no changes to the roles of ministers impacted by the changes, including Environment Minister Sussan Ley, Water Minister David Littleproud, Agriculture Minister Bridget McKenzie and Energy Minister Angus Taylor: “It’s not uncommon for departments to have multiple ministers. They have multiple ministers now.”

Mr Morrison said his government was committed to taking action on climate change: “We are taking action on climate change and we’re getting results on emissions reduction. Emissions today are lower than they were when we came to government.”

Opposition agriculture and resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon said the changes were “another step towards an authoritarian regime”.

“How are we going to have any contestability in the cabinet? Usually, if the agriculture minister comes forward with a proposition, the environment department might make comments. Who is going to do that now? It is one single regime,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Greenpeace campaigns director Jamie Hanson said the changes would be bad for renewable energy: “The same department will be in charge of promoting coal.”