Photo Jeff ‘In The Green Room Feeling Greened Out’ Dawson
With a federal election expected to be called at any moment, Richmond Greens candidate Mandy Nolan launched her campaign on Friday night at the Bangalow A&I Hall.
The event featured MC Madeleine West, party leader Adam Bandt, human rights advocate Brett Solomon and Aboriginal All Stars comedian and Block TV star, Andy Saunders.
During the week, her office released a number of policies.
Greens MP Sarah Hanson-Young was at the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital last week to launch a Wildlife Rescue Strategy for Byron Bay, which is part of a $20 million a year National Wildlife Rescue Strategy.
Wildlife Recovery Australia CEO Dr Stephen Van Mil said, ‘This announcement recognises the critical need for a proper framework and recurrent operational funding for Australian wildlife rescue, medical treatment and rehabilitation. These services are almost entirely reliant on charities like ours, volunteers, philanthropy, donations and veterinarians and nurses giving their professional services away.’
Meanwhile, a Greens plan to protect Australian communities from disasters ‘supercharged by coal and gas’ was released.
The Climate Response Service would put ‘thousands of people on the ground and help prepare for fires, floods, and cyclones; and assist with the extensive cleanup after they strike’.
The media release says the ‘climate army’ would be funded ‘by making big coal and gas corporations pay more tax’.
The Greens say, ‘The proposal to commit $1B a year over three years would create a service to be managed by the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), working with local communities to provide skilled, scalable support in a crisis. Specifics would be devised through the NEMA’s consultation with communities, the ADF, and local service providers and volunteer groups’.
‘Evidence provided to the recent Select Committee on Australia’s Disaster Resilience found that the ADF is being increasingly stretched by the increasing frequency of callouts to global warming charged natural disasters, and lacks the resources to handle incidents like bushfires.
‘Nearly one in two coal and gas corporations pays no tax,’ say the Greens.
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