The magic of the market won't help the environment unless government also takes responsibility | Megan Evans

If the government doesn't see funding environmental projects as a serious investment, why should the private sector?None of the suggestions in the long-awaited interim report from the independent review of Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act released on Monday are particularly surprising or controversial, and many are entirely sensible.The chair of the review, Graeme Samuel, was unequivocal in his assessment that the EPBC Act is ineffective, inefficient, and not fit for the purpose of protecting Australia's natural and cultural heritage - echoing the recent damning Australian National Audit Office report (and its previous five reports). A major reason for the act's failure has been successive government's failure to provide resources it needs to function properly, a situation which is only getting worse. Continue reading...