Environment

I believe we need to protect our unique environments. The picturesque landscapes are a major attraction of the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu, our Coast & Vines region and Kangaroo Island. I have been fighting to make sure our environment stays stunning!

This means:

• Getting a fair deal for the Murray River, Lower Lakes and Coorong
• Keeping risky big oil out of the Bight
• Preserving and protecting native forests
• Insisting the government act on climate change
• Ensuring we preserve prime agricultural land from too much residential development and retain our region’s agricultural landscape
• Keeping plastic out of our oceans

Saving the Murray

My focus has been on making sure the very end of the River has a voice. When the River suffers, it dies from the mouth up. The Murray Darling Basin Plan needs to be delivered in full and on time.

All decisions must be based on scientific evidence and not by vested interests. Most critically, there needs to be greater State and Federal Government transparency and accountability – everyone who uses the River needs to have confidence in the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Results:

• Rebekha successfully advocates for $8 million for a research institute focussing on the health of the Murray Mouth, Lower Lakes and Coorong
• Holding the Government to account on water buyback overpayments
• Driving greater transparency and accountability in the Basin Plan
• Securing a Murray Darling Basin Authority regional engagement officer based at Goolwa for the Lower Lakes and Coorong region
• Sending the Government back to the drawing board on the flawed Northern Basin Review
• Securing a commitment from the Prime Minister to make the River Murray a standing item in every COAG (Council of Australian Governments) meeting
• Securing a commitment from the Prime Minister to make the River Murray the subject of a special biannual Senate Estimates process.

Climate change

Action on climate change is urgent and necessary. The Government needs to step up for the good of our environment, society and the economy.

The Government’s current target for zero emissions by 2050 is not good enough. Relying on gas and emerging technologies is not going to deliver the critical results we need.

Constant changes in Federal policy makes bipartisan consensus on climate change more important than ever. I see my role on the crossbench as encouraging this consensus and helping support action on climate change.

Grassroots Australia must continue to keep climate action on the national agenda and who continues to find practical solutions. There needs to be financial and legislative support for regional Australia to benefit from renewable energy.

Results:

• Created the Parliamentary Friends of Climate Action group in 2019 as a platform to engage and inform Parliamentarians about the impacts of climate change
• Successfully forced the Government to regularly release its climate change and emissions data
• Worked with Independent MP Zali Steggall to introduce the Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) Bill 2020 into Parliament
• Supported Dr Haines MP with her Local Energy Plan Private Members Bills and advocated the Government for funding support in the Federal Budget
• Hosted a Renewables in the Region forum with Dr Helen Haines MP to explain her Local Energy Plan to develop a ‘sunbelt’ of locally-owned renewable energy projects across regional Australia
  
• Hosted an online webinar in September 2021 with Dr Juliette Milbank and Matthew Charles-Jones from Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) and Heather Smith, South Australian community energy and climate change advocate
• Hosted a clean energy roadshow for businesses throughout the electorate in 2017
• Secured a $110 million equity loan for the Solar Thermal Plant in Port Augusta
• Delivered the electorate-wide Micah Community Climate Petition to Parliament
• Introduced a motion into Parliament calling on the Government to urgently take serious action on climate change
• Delivered the Young Mayo climate change banner to the Minister for the Environment
• Lobbied the Federal Government to take action on coastal erosion

Preserving and restoring our unique landscape

I believe that the character of our environmental landscape and our prime agricultural land should be protected from overdevelopment. I support the Mount Lofty Ranges UNESCO World Heritage Bid that seeks recognition for the Adelaide Hills and Mount Lofty Ranges as unique agrarian landscapes.

Results:

• Advocated and secured the following additional environmental funding for Mayo:
  • $250,000 for the Sturt Upper Reaches Landcare Group to accelerate their 10-year project boost the recovery of the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot
  • $245,000 for the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Association (GWLAP) for weed control and habitat restoration projects in nine conservation parks and reserves between Goolwa and Willunga on the Fleurieu Peninsula
  • $160,000 for the Hindmarsh Island Landcare Group for revegetation work
  • $40,000 for Willunga Environment Centre to support a long-term rehabilitation of the 'Aldinga Washpool' wetlands
  • $85,000 for Trees for Life to rehabilitate waterways at Lions Park in Currency Creek and at Meadows Creek Reserve
  • $20,000 for Conservation Volunteers Australia to protect and boost the population of the endangered Western Pygmy Possum on the Fleurieu Peninsula
  • $20,000 for the Friends of Dudley Peninsula Parks on Kangaroo Island to spend on weed control, revegetation and heritage conservation in local parks and reserves.
• Successfully secured $150,000 for 15 environmental projects across Mayo in the 2019 Community Environments Program (a list of the grant recipients can be found here)
• Hosted and launched the Mount Lofty Ranges UNESCO World Heritage bid in Parliament
• Supported the passage of the register for foreign agricultural water ownership

Keeping plastic out of our oceans / recycling

When I visit schools and talk with children across the electorate, the number one issue they talk to me about is the environment. Recycling and plastic waste are particularly prominent issues. After speaking with students from Kangaroo Island Community Education (KICE), I decided to champion a national ban on lightweight single-use plastic bags in Parliament.

Results:

• Delivering a motion and speech in the House of Representatives urging hold-out State Governments to implement a container deposit scheme
• Delivering a motion and speech in the House of Representatives urging hold-out State Governments to implement a plastic bag ban
• Directly lobbying the Victorian and New South Wales’ governments to implement a ban
• Victoria has now announced its intention to implement a ban
• Supporting Kangaroo Island’s plastic bag free campaign
• Delivering keynote address at Parliamentary launch of the ocean conservation movie, ‘Blue’