Mark Speakman
NSW Leader of the Opposition
James Griffin
Shadow Minister for Energy, Climate Change and Environment
The Minns Labor Government has been caught out again trying to avoid transparency, this time attempting to weaken the State of the Environment (SoE) report before backing down after Opposition scrutiny.
Due to come before the NSW Parliament this week is the Environmental Legislation Amendment Bill (EPA Bill) 2025, where it has been discovered that Labor’s plan was to delay the release of the SoE from every three years to every four.
When exposed, the Government dropped the change in yet another retreat under pressure.
The SoE, prepared by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, is one of the most important accountability measurements available to the public. It tracks climate change, biodiversity, pollution, land clearing and the health of the state’s rivers, wetlands and ecosystems.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said the attempt showed a government with a pattern of secrecy.
“Labor has been caught out again. This is not an isolated mistake. It’s part of a pattern where the Minns Labor Government tries to hide or delay the truth. The State of the Environment report is vital because it gives families, communities and businesses the full picture of how our environment is tracking and whether government action is making a difference,” Mr Speakman said.
Shadow Minister for Energy, Climate Change and Environment James Griffin said Labor’s instinct was to delay instead of act.
“The 2024 State of the Environment report was damning. It revealed more threatened species, a 40 per cent surge in land clearing and serious declines in rivers and wetlands. Labor’s first response was not to act, but to delay the next report. They are more interested in covering up failure than fixing problems,” Mr Griffin said.
This is part of a litany of transparency failures. Time and again Labor is caught trying to hide from accountability.
NSW deserve honesty about the environment that the next generation will inherit, not a government that keeps playing for time.