Prime Minister Scott Morrison has argued hazard reduction burning is action “to take account of the climate we’re living in,” and said any royal commission into Australia’s bushfire crisis should take no more than six months.
Amid intense criticism from Labor on the level of the government’s emissions reduction target and its use of carryover credits to meet it, Mr Morrison said hazard reduction burning would have a more concrete impact on fire risk.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has doubled down on his government’s environment policies.Credit:AAP
“You talk about action on climate change, that’s what that is. Hazard reduction is action to take account of the climate we’re living in, which is a more challenging environment over the next decade and beyond,” Mr Morrison said.
In an interview with Sky News, Mr Morrison said hazard reduction was as “important as emissions reduction and I think many would argue even more so because it has an even more direct, practical impact on the safety of a person going into a bushfire season”.