The Greens are urging the Liberal National Government to lift the freeze on water buy backs to restore much-needed flows to the Murray Darling Basin. 

The Federal Water Minister must force the NSW and QLD Governments to urgently invoke their powers and embargo the cotton industry’s water extraction from the Murray Darling Basin after widespread fish deaths, the Greens say.

“The Federal Water Minister must intervene and force an embargo on water extraction for cotton irrigation as a matter of urgency. The Federal and State Governments must act to stop over extraction, and lift the freeze on environmental water buybacks,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

More reports of dead native fish floating in their thousands in the Lower Darling sends a dreadful signal on the health of the River.

“This is what a river in death throes looks like. Between the Government handing water to big corporate irrigators, the Murray Darling Basin Plan not accounting for climate change, and mismanagement of environmental flows, our river – and our native fish – are dying,” Greens environment and water spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale has congratulated Sen. Larissa Waters on her return to the position of Co-Deputy Leader of the Greens, a position she vacated as a result of her resignation from the Parliament over questions of eligibility under Section 44 of the constitution.
 

Greens mining spokesperson Senator Larissa Waters says the Government should be sued for ignoring water laws for Adani’s 12.5 billion litre water pipeline, unless the Environment Minister intervenes today and requires a full environmental impact assessment.

“We learned three weeks ago that this Government had done yet another special deal for Adani, exempting them from water laws despite their plans to suck out almost as much water as all the other users combined, from a drought-stricken region,” Senator Waters said. 

Australian Greens Spokesperson for Gun Control, Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Greens spokesperson for Democracy, Senator Larissa Waters, have reacted to today's reports that the gun lobby is trying to weaken Australia's gun laws and that pro-gun groups have used Ministerial Advisory Panels to lobby against greater gun controls.

The final report of a Senate Inquiry into water use by mining operations has recommended expanding Commonwealth control over water use, and dramatically improving understanding of water use by mining industries to help reduce the conflict between water use by mining operations, and agriculture and the environment.

Scrap the tampon tax, increase funding for frontline domestic violence services and deliver 10 days’ paid DV leave, is Greens spokesperson for women, Senator Larissa Waters' wish list ahead of meetings tomorrow which could alter the future of Australian women, children and trans people.

Tomorrow:

Scrap the tampon tax, increase funding for frontline domestic violence services and deliver 10 days’ paid DV leave, is Greens spokesperson for women, Senator Larissa Waters' wish list ahead of meetings tomorrow which could alter the future of Australian women, children and trans people.

Tomorrow:

Big business is now running parliament and the Government is not even pretending to anymore, Greens Senator for Queensland and mining and resources spokesperson, Larissa Waters said.

“The Government has done another special deal for Adani in not making them comply with water laws,” she said.

“Adani has just gotten out of having to comply with water laws for a pipeline that will suck 12.5billion litres out of a river in a region that is crippled by drought.