LNP to cut all funding for Queensland’s Environmental Defenders Office, breaking election promise | Queensland politics

In a move to raise comparisons with the Campbell Newman government, the government of the Liberal National Party in Queensland is scheduled to reduce all government funding for the EDO Environmental Office (EDO).

The decision penetrates a promise from LNP to continue funding the submitted body before winning the government in the October State elections.

EDO provides free legal advice to residents and community groups taking into account the challenge of development or environmental approval, and receives about $ 500,000 a year from the state government. Its financing will be reduced to zero with a budget of June state.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, 36 described the conservation of the environment in the state themselves as “shocked” of the decision.

They compared him to a similar decision taken by Prime Minister Campbell Newman Reducing $ 97,000 of EDO financing in 2012Customize the entire case. The current Minister of Environment, Andrew Powell, He was also the Minister of Environment under the leadership of Newman.

EDO discounts represent one of several promises in the broken elections by the David Crisafulli government in the first six months in his position, including Do not build a new playground for the Olympics and Set clear key indicators For his ministers.

Edo publicly funded the financing of Edo in March last year, at a forum attended by the Minister of Environment in the shadow of LNP, Sam Ukunor.

In pursuing an email after the event that Guardian Australia also indicated, Oconnor also referred to “the commitment it pledged to continue the EDO financing if LNP succeeds in the elections in October.”

“Quinzland is interested in their local environment so that the owners of lands and societies deserve some forms of access to legal advice when possible threats to the private places they love,” says email.

“We believe that the state government should continue to provide funding for its operations just as it does with other legal services for society.”

“We were told before the elections that LNP has learned lessons from the destructive Numan government’s approach, but this funding comes out directly from the book of Campbell Newman,” said Dave Kobman, director of the Queensland Conservation Council.

Cobman said that then opposition leader Crisafulli had his own commitment in August 2023.

The CEO of EDO, David Morris, said that the organization will be able to keep its doors open with charitable donations, but it will have to remove many people.

Morris said: “Over the past five years, we have been able to finance the Queensland government to provide about 1500 legal services to people who cannot provide legal advice,” Morris said.

He said that without Edo legal advice, many Queensland will be rejected from the opportunity to exercise their legal rights to challenge “mining companies, adults and real estate developers.”

“Without it, many societies will not know their rights, not to mention getting an opportunity to exercise them.”

The Minister of State Resources, last Del, told Parliament: “I was telling gas companies in this state:” I will sign. You are training. “

A spokesman for the state government said that it “honored the fully financing agreement of the Labor Party, which was expired at the end of June 2025.”

“There is no additional money distributed after that time period.

“As part of the future assessments of the programs, EDO will have to persuade the government that the appropriate operations have been put in place to qualify to obtain more funding, after they ordered the payment of $ 9 million in costs after the judge criticized Edo attorneys to train him on a witness.”

The Federal Court ordered the payment of fees to Santos in November 2024 after his ruling against challenging the gas pipeline project in the northern region.

Morris said at the time that Edo “The customer’s instructions were seriously adhered toBut I accepted the court ruling.