<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/09/mark-mcgowan-wa-premier-epa-climate-guidelines-fossil-fuel>
"Allegations that the former Western Australian premier Mark McGowan put
pressure on the independent Environmental Protection Authority to withdraw
climate guidelines opposed by gas companies are evidence of the fossil fuel
industry’s “ownership” of the state, senior figures say.
Carmen Lawrence, another former Labor premier, said McGowan’s alleged behaviour
four years ago, if true, was “certainly improper”, “ethically questionable” and
“illustrated the power that fossil fuels have to influence the government” in
the state.
Bill Hare, the Perth-based head of the global non-profit organisation Climate
Analytics, said it showed decision-making in WA was “captured” by oil and gas
interests.
“I don’t think it’s well understood on the east coast,” Hare said. “It seems
quite apparent that the state capture is fairly well complete, and at least de
facto supported by the federal government.”
After more than four years of silence on the issue, the former chairman of the
EPA, Tom Hatton, has revealed details of an allegedly contentious phone
conversation he had with McGowan in March 2019.
The EPA had just released guidelines that suggested new and expanding fossil
fuel projects in the state should have to buy enough carbon credits to offset
100% of their onsite greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon offsetting to justify fossil fuel development is contentious but the
guidelines were meant to address the state’s skyrocketing CO2 pollution, which
increased by 21% between 2005 and the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In an interview with the ABC last month, Hatton said McGowan had told him there
had not been enough consultation with industry and the public over the
guidelines and put pressure on him to withdraw them.
He said the premier’s call was “unprecedented” in the EPA’s 50-year history.
The government can choose not to follow the authority’s guidelines but the
state Environmental Protection Act makes clear the authority and its chair are
independent from any direction by the state environment minister. It does not
mention the premier."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
