The Qld Government has decided to strip funding for critical environmental legal aid used by farmers, First Nations people and regional communities after the LNP reneged on a pre-election promise to maintain funding to help people deal with environmental and planning legal issues.
The LNP government has advised it will not renew funding of about $500,000 a year that over the past five years has helped the Environmental Defenders Office employ two solicitors with specialist environment and planning law expertise to provide free legal advice to the community, and to help maintain offices in Cairns and Brisbane.
“The loss of this funding is a blow to the hundreds of farmers, First Nations people and regional Queenslanders who have come to us each year for advice about this very complex area of law,” EDO CEO David Morris said.
“Over the past five years, Qld Government funding has enabled us to provide about 1,500 legal services to people who otherwise could not possibly afford legal advice.
“Loss of this funding will deny many people access to the law and to environmental justice, which should be a basic right.
“We will keep our doors open thanks to incredible support we get from the public, but we will sadly have to turn some people away because we simply won’t have the staff to service the demand.”
Mr Morris said the Crisafulli government decision was disappointing given the unequivocal assurances LNP Shadow Minister Sam O’Connor gave last year that funding would continue if the LNP took office.
“In March last year, then Shadow Environment Minister Sam O’Connor committed at a public forum to continue funding the environmental legal aid provided by EDO if the LNP was elected,” Mr Morris said.
“In their own words, before the election the responsible shadow minister said, ‘Queenslanders care about their local environment so landholders and communities deserve some form of access to legal advice when potential threats arise to the special places they love’.”
Mr O’Conor even backed up his promise with an email to Cairns and Far North Environment Centre director Lucy Graham:
“… you can share the commitment I made to continue funding the EDO if the LNP is successful at the election this October with whoever you like!
“Queenslanders care about their local environment so landholders and communities deserve some form of access to legal advice when potential threats arise to the special places they love.
“While we will not agree with everything the EDO does, we believe the State Government should continue to provide funding towards their operations just like they do with other community legal services.”
Mr Morris said: “The Premier has confirmed today that he will not continue the funding that has enabled EDO to provide more than 1,500 legal services to Queenslanders who could not afford to pay for that advice.
“Barely 200 days into the Crisafulli government’s first term, this has become the LNP’s first broken promise.
“Essentially, this decision denies many Queenslanders the opportunity to exercise their legal rights to protect the places and species they love that are threatened by inappropriate, destructive developments.
“Even with the environmental legal aid EDO provides, the scales are tipped heavily in the favour of mining companies, big irrigators, and property developers.
“Without it, many communities won’t even know their rights, let alone have the chance to exercise them.”
Media contact: James Tremain | 0419 272 254
