Anthony Albanese’s government swept to power in 2022 and, among many promises made to voters, it firmly committed to end a decade of environmental neglect. Four years later, the federal budget – as well as the newly passed national environmental law reforms – make it abundantly clear that it is failing to deliver on that promise.

This failure is more than just political; it is existential for this country’s remarkable, unique and increasingly imperilled wildlife and ecosystems.

Environmental funding is set to decline from an already paltry 0.06% of the federal budget for on-ground nature programs to less than 0.04% in 2028-29. Even as it retunes its environment policy settings to favour business imperatives, the government is seeking to further absolve itself of its legal and moral environmental responsibilities by doubling down on a highly contentious and unproven nature repair market.

All this flies in the face of the fact that 96% of Australians surveyed want more action to care for nature, and 76% believe a minimum of 1% of the annual federal budget should be dedicated to protecting, conserving and recovering nature.

One must ask why the federal government is so comfortable continuing to ignore the wishes of most Australians, and continuing to condemn our life-sustaining environment and wildlife to profound decline and destruction?

National environmental standards were the centrepiece of the Environment Protection........

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