Major parties vote against protection for Central Coast drinking water

Today the NSW Legislative Council voted down the Greens’ Central Coast Drinking Water Catchments Protection Bill 2019.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi will join Abigail Boyd MLC on the Central Coast tomorrow to meet with residents.

Abigail Boyd, Greens NSW spokesperson for the Hunter, Newcastle and Central Coast, said:

“It is disappointing that the major parties continue to put the short term profits of the coal industry ahead of the long term interests of the community.

“No project is worth risking the drinking water of 350,000 people.

“We can protect the environment and provide thousands of good jobs by investing more in renewable energy and manufacturing on the Central Coast,” said Ms Boyd.

Greens Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, said:

“The world is changing and the writing is on the wall for coal. In response to the climate crisis, we are seeing the coal industry close down in places like Germany while our traditional export markets are pledging to cancel coal power stations. The Central Coast needs real and sustainable jobs, not empty promises that will damage the environment and threaten crucial water supplies.

“We know the Coalition are climate criminals who are refusing to take any action to protect the Central Coast community and its water.

“Labor has voted against the Greens motion condemning the Wallarah 2 mine in the Senate. It’s time they made it clear to the community where they stand on this environmental ticking time bomb.

“We need the Federal Government to protect the water of Central Coast communities and cancel all environmental approvals,” said Dr Faruqi.

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