The DLP believes that environmental crises in Australia arise from:
- Affluent society having abandoned the old fashioned virtue of frugality
- Lack of effective decentralization policies
- Failure to balance the positive pioneering attitude of ‘taming the wilderness’ with proper appreciation of the value of our unique flora and fauna
The DLP recognises the need for all our population to have:
- Access to clean water and clean air
- Freedom from pollution including noise
- Property surroundings free from manmade ugliness
- Easy public access to places of natural beauty for recreation and enjoyment
- Privacy
The DLP is committed to:
Decentralise the development of new population centres to limit the environmental abuse of concentrated growth.
Arrange environmental priorities to balance the need to protect Australia’s unique flora, fauna and natural beauty with the need for sustained development and a full employment economy.
Planned and practical initiatives to maximise the development of our natural resources by restoring native forests and grasslands and by checking:
- development-induced land degradation,
- reverse rising water tables,
- soil salinity,
- depletion of lakes and watercourses, and
- the encroachment of deserts.
Limits on the manufacture, distribution and use of products with known toxic, destructive or pollutant effects. There must be greater public access to information needed to assess the “accident” potential from such products and their risks to public health.
Increased Federal and State funding and sponsorship for research and development relating to:
- Hydro, gas, tidal and nuclear power
- The extraction of oil from old coal mines
- The production of motor fuels from renewable energy resources including sugar cane, sugar beet and other farmable, non-grain products
Ensure that the findings from environmental impact studies be weighed with other public benefits and the broader national interest. This must occur before a final determination on any proposed major land or resource development.
Commonwealth-State cooperation (duly recognising the sovereignty of the States) to allocate at least five per cent of Australia’s total area for national parks and nature reserves. This would include historical sites and cover a wide variety of land forms, soils, sub-climates, drainage systems, flora, fauna, eco-systems and habitats.
Ongoing federal, state and municipal funding and coordination for a national tree-planting scheme. The scheme is to be organised through local and regional community associations and volunteers.
An allocation of legal aid funds for community initiated legal proceedings to bring corporate offenders to account for deliberate breach of environmental protection laws and by-laws.
The establishment of a joint Federal-State Registry of Risks to Public Health and Safety. This will facilitate public scrutiny, supervise and regulate the otherwise concealed scientific, medical and industrial activities involving the use, storage and disposal of hazardous biological, chemical and radioactive substances and waste.
Federal/state funding and/or tax concessions, for landowners that work with the State and Federal Authorities to implement environmental programmes encouraged or required by that Authority.
Generous compensation packages for landowners that have had their asset forcibly devalued, stolen, or their income affected by legislation brought about by our governments ratifying international or global environmental conventions such as AGENDA 21, Kyoto and any implemented Carbon Trade Scheme.