Your Conservation Council is being silenced while Western Australia's environmental laws are being undone, our pristine Kimberley coast is under threat, and dangerous uranium mines are fast-tracked in WA!

 

I urgently need your help to stop this attack on our environment. Please donate today and forward this email to your friends!

        
I am writing to ask for your personal assistance in this critical time for the Western Australian environment and the future of your Conservation Council. As a person who cares about our environment, you will surely be as outraged as I am by what I tell you in this letter.

I have recently received some very disturbing information contained in leaked documents that have been exposed in Parliament and in the media. Plans are being made behind closed doors to dismantle Western Australia’s environmental protection laws, to fast-track the expansion of polluting industries and to remove our right to oppose developments that threaten the health of our communities and environment.

At the same time, it appears that there is an effort to undermine and silence the Conservation Council through dramatic reductions in the state government funding we have received for over 20 years. This appears to be a calculated attempt to prevent us from speaking out against irresponsible decisions and government policies.

More than ever, I need your personal assistance at this critical time, when both the Western Australian environment and our right to defend it are under attack. I am asking for your assistance in three important ways. Please do not delay in taking the following actions:

         1) Make a donation to the Conservation Council;
         2) Forward this email to your friends and ask other concerned people you know to become a
             supporter of the Conservation Council.
         3) Write an email to the Premier and your local newspaper outlining your concerns;

I appreciate any assistance you can give.

Thanks to the tireless work of your Conservation Council and the support of committed people such as yourself, much has been achieved over the last 40 years, and important principles have been imbedded in Western Australia’s environment legislation: community consultation, an independent environmental regulator, and powers to prevent unacceptable development proposals from going ahead on environmental grounds.

These principles were opposed vigorously at the time by powerful vested interests that place company profits above the community and the environment. Now, those same vested interests are again being emboldened and encouraged by the State Government. An industry group has been formed to review the State’s environment laws without public input. Members of this working group are planning to significantly weaken our important environment laws by undermining the transparency of government decisions and removing opportunities for the community to voice opposition to damaging development proposals.

At the same time, we know that mining companies are fast-tracking plans to develop dangerous, polluting uranium mines. One State Minister has even been reported advising uranium mining companies to keep their plans secret to avoid scrutiny from groups such as the Conservation Council!

Together, you and I and other people committed to WA’s environment must make our voices heard above those of these vested interests and polluting industries.  With your support, the Conservation Council and I stand ready to defend our right to a healthy environment and a sustainable WA. Please help by making a donation and writing to the Premier today!

You will be aware that the Premier himself is behind a frantic push to establish a massive, polluting industrial precinct on the pristine Kimberley Coast and has repeatedly threatened to force Aboriginal communities from their land. Not only would this 1000-hectare industrial estate devastate an area of equal significance to the Great Barrier Reef, it would increase Western Australia’s greenhouse pollution by over 25%.

We are also facing increased forest destruction to provide jarrah, karri and marri logs to be burnt in power stations, the introduction of genetically modified crops, weakening of environmental building standards, water efficiency measures being wound back and policies to reduce harmful river pollution being undone.

Added to this appalling scenario is a seriously inadequate response to the worsening climate crisis, with a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme that would be better named a Conspicuous Pollution Rewards Scam.

What we are seeing is a pattern of Government decision-making that is placing the interests of polluting industries above the health of communities and the environment.

It is more important than ever that your Conservation Council can represent the public interest by continuing to stand up for the environment and pushing for a more sustainable Western Australia.

To continue being Western Australia’s outspoken voice for the environment, your Conservation Council needs your help. Please make a donation today to help us continue our important work defending our environment laws, preventing uranium mining, stopping the introduction of genetically modified crops, protecting natural areas from destructive developments and reducing the impacts of climate change.

For at least 20 years, your Conservation Council has been recognised by State Governments from both sides of politics as a legitimate representative of tens of thousands of Western Australians such as yourself. Now, the State Government is dramatically reducing our funding in what appears to be a calculated effort to undermine your Conservation Council and prevent us from speaking for the environment.

I am sure you are as appalled as I am about this situation. We have already lost our Water Policy Officer, our Sustainable Agriculture Officer and our Minerals and Mining Officer. These losses represent a huge blow to your Conservation Council, seriously reducing our ability to develop and advocate strategies to protect the environment in WA.

I cannot stress enough how important your support is now, when the Conservation Council itself is under serious threat. Please make a tax-deductible donation today and help us prevent WA taking giant steps backwards in environmental protection.

If you have not done so already, please consider joining our Voice for the Environment Monthly Giving program.

Please give as much as you can at this critical time and accept my sincere thanks in advance for your generosity.

Yours sincerely

Piers Verstegen
Director

PS: Your donation is very important, but please don’t forget to write to the Premier as well.

PPS: I am working to increase the number of Conservation Council supporters. Please help by forwarding a link to this page to your friends and asking concerned people you know to become supporters of the Council. As a Council supporter they will receive a free subscription to our quarterly magazine The Greener Times and free entry to many of our events run throughout the year.