News | 23rd Nov, 2011

Baillieu Government gets ‘fail’ on environment

Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Alison Savage, ABC News

The Victorian Government's green credentials have been criticised in an audit on its performance after one year in office.

The audit, by Environment Victoria, found of the Coalition's 57 pre-election environment policies, only five have been implemented, and three have been broken.

It also claims the Government has introduced eight policies that will be detrimental to the environment.

They include allowing a cattle grazing trial in the Alpine National Park, and the decision to end talks to close the Hazelwood Power Station.

The move to restrict wind farm developments in some areas is also criticised in the report.

Environment Victoria's Kelly O'Shanassy says the Baillieu Government has been a disappointment.

"They certainly have failed to protect the environment," she said.

"We hope that they turn things around over the next three years because Victorians very much depend on a healthy environment for our livelihood."

The report has praised the Government for delivering on five election commitments, including increasing the state's energy efficiency targets and lifting the landfill levy.

But Ms O'Shanassy says those commitments are relatively minor.

"They're very small measures, and certainly outweighed by the many negative actions the Government has taken."

Download the scorecard here

Read our media release on the issue here