North West

Greens MLC remains opposed to Aboriginal Heritage Act Amendments

Friday 19 February, 2016

Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region, Robin Chapple MLC, says that he remains strongly opposed to the re-tabled Aboriginal Heritage Act amendments, and will seek to strike them down.

“All the Bill provides for, with regard to the voice of Aboriginal peoples, is the transfer of most of the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee’s functions to the Department of Aboriginal Affairs’ Chief Executive Officer,” he explained.  

“The government has left substantial matters to undrafted regulations, such as what the CEO will consider and information required before deciding what is left on or taken off the register.

“It is disappointing that the Bill omits all of which have been repeatedly raised in previous reports on the Act and also in the 2012 round of submissions; all of which aimed to improve protection of Aboriginal heritage and the involvement of Aboriginal peoples in that process.

“There has been enough community backlash to see people are vehemently opposed to this Bill. 

“If the Government are true to their word and want to design legislation that protects our unique Aboriginal heritage, then it is back to the drawing board they must go.

“The Greens will continue to oppose the Bill in its current form. “

For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 9486 8255

Five years on and Cattle still problem with Northern Highways.

Friday, 19th February

WA Greens Member for the Mining and Pastoral region Robin Chapple MLC has questioned the effectiveness of the Advisory Group for the Management of Straying Livestock amid more dead cattle figures received from parliamentary questions.

“In the five years since the advisory group was set up I cannot say I’ve seen a solid reduction in roaming cattle along the highway” Mr Chapple said.

“This anecdotal evidence is backed up by figures I have received in parliament,”

“From 2013 to 2014 there were a reported 68 dead cattle removed from the stretch of highway between Broome and Derby, from 2014 to present day there have been a reported 159 dead cattle.”

“This tells me that the number of stray livestock is not decreasing and the actions the Government have put in place are not working.”

“The same can be said of reported crashes, there were 32 cattle related crashes from 2009-2013 at 6.4 a year whilst there have been 16 between 2014 and 2015 at 8 a year.”

“We should remember, this is purely reported crashes and in fact the majority of cattle collisions go unreported.”

“I plead with the Government, reassess the safety of these northern highways, the problem is not fixed.”

For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 9486 8255.

Blind support for uranium industry ‘seriously flawed’

Monday, 25 January

WA Greens Energy spokesperson Robin Chapple MLC has labelled Minister Marmion’s latest plug in support of uranium mining in Western Australia as ‘seriously flawed’.

“The WA Greens will not accept uranium mining in this state any more than we will accept Mr Marmion’s premise for asking us too,” Mr Chapple said.

“Contrary to Mr Marmion’s statements I’d say that the Paris Conference didn’t really lend much hope to the nuclear industry and came out strongly in support of renewable energy as the best way to tackle future energy crises and climate change.

“And, there is a whole host of other factors not being considered here. Vast amounts of concrete are used to build a nuclear reactor, one of the most energy intensive processes known to man.

“Nuclear waste must be stored for decades once it has been spent and as a producer, we would understandably be expected to share this burden.

“I think it’s unlikely there will be an increase in global demand for uranium either. The rate at which nuclear reactors are being shutdown far exceeds the rate at which they are being built and it is difficult to imagine that status quo changing.

“Uranium mining is not a small, low-impact commitment but a long term responsibility that will have implications for generations after the mine is no longer producing.”

Mr Marmion's comments against the Anti-Uranium lobby can be found here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-20/minister-urges-lobby-to-reconsider...

For comment please contact Media Liaison Tim Oliver on 0431 9696 25 or 9486 8255.

 

Marilyn and Colin: Impact from Proposed Yeelirrie Uranium Mine

Portfolios: 

I really need your help to stop the uranium mine at Yeelirrie!

I urge you to put in a submission to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) against Cameco's mine at Yeelirrie.

The closing date for submissions is Monday, 14 December at 5pm.

You can put in your submission electronically by clicking on the link here

Greens: Mandatory sentencing unfair, disproportionate

Thursday, 17 September

The WA Greens have criticised the state government and opposition for passing tough mandatory sentencing laws that breach the international convention on the rights of a child.

“It was extremely disappointing to see such universal support for a bill that is so fraught with opportunities for misuse and unintended consequences,” WA Greens MLC Robin Chapple said.

“The convention states that in a case involving a minor, detention must be a last resort - these laws remove the ability of a court to use discretion and hence clearly breach the convention.

“We should be allowing the judiciary to make decisions relating to children, not mandating from Parliament.”

WA Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren said that mandatory sentencing had a disproportionate impact on marginalised West Australians with little evidence to suggest that it reduced crime in any context.

“Home burglaries are ultimately a crime of despair – it would be nice to see a government who was willing to actually invest in people and invest in rehabilitation,” Ms MacLaren said.

“I challenge the State Government, and Canning candidate Andrew Hastie, who has weighed into this debate to support mandatory sentencing extensions - to produce their evidence to show that mandatory sentencing will reduce the number of home burglaries.

“I also challenge the Government to commit to implementing the policies that are known to work to reduce crime. That is, long term, research-linked, community-based strategies, including health-based substance abuse programs.”

For comment please contact media liaison Tim Oliver on 08 9486 8255 or 0431 9696 25

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