SYDNEY, Wednesday, July 17, 2024 — FOI documents obtained by Greenpeace Australia Pacific reveal the major industry players and secret lobbyists behind a coordinated push to derail Australia’s national nature law reform.

The Freedom of Information documents reveal mining billionaire Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting and, for the first time to public knowledge, mining giant Rio Tinto have been behind a major push to weaken and delay any attempt to fix Australia’s broken national nature law, the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

The names of secret lobbyists have also been redacted from the letter, including at least one individual and one organisation. In the reasons provided to Greenpeace by the Prime Minister’s Department, these unknown lobbyists were redacted simply because they asked to be. Greenpeace has begun an appeal process to seek full disclosure of these secret lobbyists.

In the letter, the CEOs of Hancock Prospecting and Rio Tinto request the Prime Minister “personally intervene” in the matter, before outlining a number of conditions which specifically lobby against stronger environmental protections.

These include lobbying against the creation of no-go areas and better defining “unacceptable impacts”, requesting any new object relating to climate change be removed, and pushing against any independent decision-making powers for the proposed national Environment Protection Australia.

Glenn Walker, Head of Nature at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said Prime Minister Albanese must urgently assure Australians that he will not buckle in the face of concerted pressure from the mining industry and undisclosed secret lobbyists.

“These documents uncover the true nature of lobbying from the mining industry in Australia and their undue power and influence over matters of critical public importance, such as the protection of our unique and threatened environment.

“Secret lobbyists have been redacted from this letter despite the significant public interest in knowing the powerful forces railing against environmental and climate protections. The Prime Minister needs to personally step in to shine a light on this issue and disclose who has been lobbying him and his office against the promised reforms of Australia’s broken national nature law.

“While Gina Rinehart’s poisonous opposition to environmental protection does not come as a surprise, what it is revealing is that Rio Tinto is in lock step pushing hard against the reforms. This company speaks with a forked tongue, talking up its commitment to the environment and progress on climate change in glossy marketing materials, while secretly lobbying against the most important environmental reforms of this generation.

“We call on the Prime Minister to give an urgent assurance that secret lobbyists will no longer hold sway over the critically important reforms of Australia’s national nature law. The most concrete way to do this is to strengthen the proposed Stage Two nature laws before parliament, including stronger controls on deforestation and climate pollution, and paving the way for National Environmental Standards.

“This is a critical test for the Prime Minister and the Government. They either stand for vested mining interests of the likes of Gina Rinehart, or they stand for the protection of the environment for all Australians.”

—ENDS—

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 or kate.ocallaghan@greenpeace.org

FOI reveals major industry players lobbying Prime Minister against national nature law