The Western Rivers Alliance is calling  on the Palaszczuk Government to release the long-delayed Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) for protecting Queensland’s Lake Eyre Basin’s rivers and Channel Country floodplains. 

In response to revelations that the RIS is intentionally delayed, as published in The Australian today, Western Rivers Alliance coordinator Riley Rocco said that further delays by the Palszczuk government only diminish trust in the commitment to strengthen protections for the river and floodplain areas of the Lake Eyre Basin.  

“Stakeholder meetings wrapped up over six months ago and we were assured public consultation would be concluded before the end of 2022,” said Riley Rocco, Coordinator of the Western Rivers Alliance.  

“The longer the Palaszczuk Government stalls on its commitment to protect the region’s globally significant rivers and floodplains, the greater the uncertainty that they will be off-limits to any new open-cut mines and oil and gas fields in the region.”

The health of Channel Country waterways, wetlands and high value grazing pastures is under increasing threat by delays that only benefit the oil and gas industry as they seek new exploration and production permits across the delicate floodplains.” 

The Western Rivers Alliance is calling on the Palaszczuk government to release the RIS without delay and deliver promised river protections in 2023.