Policies
Environment
Our environment is more than the land we live on. It is our shared home.
Native forests, waterways and wildlife across Victoria are under pressure from logging, plastic pollution and weak protections. Plastic waste is building up in our rivers, creeks and bays, and on South-East beaches, harming wildlife and the environments we all depend on.
Rachel believes there is no more significant issue in our time than the threat of climate change, and that Victoria must be ambitious in how it responds. She is pushing for stronger protections for nature, less waste and a faster shift to renewable energy.
The problem on our doorstep
20,000+
Pieces of polystyrene estimated to be littering Kananook beach in Seaford alone.
91%
Of repeat audits of the same small patch of sand at Kananook beach found polystyrene.
10+
Logging trucks a day for five years in the Lerderderg National Park, reported after native logging officially ended.
Forests, waterways and climate
Protect native forests
Close the loopholes in the Forests Act 1958 that still allow timber harvesting through forest produce licences, two years after native logging officially ended.
Keep plastics out of our waterways
Update the EPA’s environment reference standard to explicitly include plastics and microplastics, including industrial pellets (nurdles) that wash into stormwater drains.
Mandatory polystyrene take-back
A mandatory take-back scheme for expanded polystyrene packaging, to keep it off South-East beaches like Kananook in Seaford.
Ambitious climate action
Push Victoria to go further than its 95 per cent renewable energy target by 2035, because acting on climate change is urgent.
Hemp
Prioritise the introduction of standalone industrial hemp legislation to address current barriers with hemp licensing.
Creating a viable local industrial hemp industry in Victoria will benefit Victorians economically and environmentally. Hemp absorbs carbon dioxide, is farmed through sustainable agriculture practices and can be used to produce environmentally friendly green building materials, sustainable textiles, biodegradable bioplastics, premium-quality paper and clean biofuel.
Waste to energy incinerators
Waste to energy incinerators pose serious environmental and health risks for communities in the South-Eastern Metropolitan region, including toxic air pollution and high carbon emissions.
In August 2025, I moved a motion for the Economy and Infrastructure Committee to inquire into the expansion of waste-to-energy infrastructure in Victoria, and this passed in the Legislative Council.
In April 2026, in collaboration with residents in Hampton Park, VCAT denied the contentious waste-transfer station in Hampton Park.
AI data centres
We need a moratorium on data centres until there is adequate legislation and safety frameworks to protect the health and safety of our communities and environment.
Existing and future data centres must commit to using their own renewable sources of energy.
I will be advocating for legislation ensuring data centres have oversight and a mandatory fire code managed by Fire Risk Victoria.
I will be advocating for mandatory community consultation before any approval is given to development of proposed future data centres.
Wildlife and outdoor recreation
Protect our unique ecosystems by safeguarding Victoria’s national parks and natural environments.
Preserve native wildlife and threatened species by maintaining healthy, protected habitats.
Safeguard our parks, particularly those in the South-Eastern Metropolitan region, including the Otways, Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Ranges, which are home to more than 2,000 native plant species and hundreds of native animals.
Strengthen environmental protections to ensure our national parks and public lands are protected for future generations.
Wildlife before hunting
Put wildlife protection and biodiversity ahead of recreational hunting, and act on the 2023 inquiry’s recommendation to end native bird hunting.
Honouring Treaty environmental commitments
Our environment is more than the land we live on, it is our shared home, with a rich cultural history and traditions for First Nations Victorians. It is our responsibility to First Peoples’ culture to honour this knowledge.
We recognise that caring for Country means protecting our natural landscapes, waterways, wetlands, coastlines and wildlife, while respecting the deep cultural knowledge and connection to Country First Peoples have maintained for thousands of generations.
I will always advocate for protecting our environment, respecting Traditional Owners and leaving a healthier, cleaner and more sustainable Victoria for future generations.
Sources
Mandatory polystyrene recycling: Keep it off our beaches! (May 2026), citing Seaford Beach Patrol audits
Rachel questions the Minister on native forest logging (August 2026), citing the Victorian Forest Alliance
Tackling plastic pollution in Victoria’s waterways (September 2026)
Committee inquiry into waste-to-energy infrastructure in Victoria (May 2026)
Outdoor Recreation Bill puts hunters before environment (June 2026)
Transition Away From Coal Bill (June 2023)
