Commissioner for Environment stymied by lack of funds
ACT Greens MLA Deb Foskey raised questions about the future of the Office of the Commissioner for the Environment following the Assembly Estimates Committee public hearing today.
"The new ACT Commissioner for Environment, Darro Stinson, said he was hesitant about promoting the Office of the Commissioner, as the Office wouldn't be able to cope with the additional workload of extra complaints" Dr Foskey said today.
"Perhaps this is the real reason that there has only ever been one official investigation by the Commissioner."
"When Annual Reports process in 2005, Chief Minister Stanhope said that he would think about raising public awareness of the Commissioner's role. Two years later the budget remains static and consequently few people know of the complaints process."
"The Office was without a Commissioner from the end of 2006 when Dr Rosemary Purdie left until Mr Stinson's appointment in May. Now he is faced with producing the comprehensive four yearly State of the Environment Report in December, on two days a week with onl;y two full-time staff."
"Mr Stinson's appointment is only till August, and it will need to be extended for him to finish the report."
"What we need is a higher profile and a strengthened advocacy role for the Commissioner for the Environment - especially if the role is extended to include Sustainability as has been mooted."
"The Commissioner for the Environment office has always been markedly under-funded. Perhaps the Government would increase the Office's funding if it sought its advice about more of its projects or legislation."
"The Government should immediately confirm the Commissioner's appointment till the end of the year so that he can complete the State of the Environment Report and assure the community that the Government is serious about reporting on its environmental management" Dr Foskey said.
