What Victorian Parties Are Actually Saying About the Environment in 2026
Environment policies are shaping up as a major talking point for the Victorian state election, and if you’re living anywhere from Pakenham to Mornington Peninsula, or out through the hills near Omeo and across Eastern Victoria, you’ve probably noticed the climate conversation heating up faster than a summer day in Bairnsdale.
Let’s cut through the political spin and look at what each party actually plans to do about environmental protection, climate change, and sustainability. Because whether you’re worried about plastic pollution washing up on our beaches or wondering how environmental science will guide our future, you deserve the straight goods.
Labor’s Climate Strategy and Environmental Protection
The ALP is pushing forward with their Climate Change Strategy 2026-30, which doubles down on emissions reduction targets while building climate resilience across Victoria. According to the Victorian government’s climate strategy documents, they’re acknowledging Aboriginal communities as key partners in environmental management, which makes sense given Indigenous Australians have been looking after this land for 60,000-plus years.
For Eastern Victoria, this means investment in renewable energy infrastructure, bushfire resilience programs, and protecting natural assets like the Gippsland Lakes and coastal environments. The strategy specifically targets sectors like agriculture and transport, both massive employers in regional areas.
Labor’s approach treats environment and sustainability as two sides of the same coin. They’re working with the Environment Protection Agency to tighten pollution controls, particularly around water quality in our rivers and bays, which matters heaps if you’re downstream of anything in places like Warragul or Morwell.
Liberal and National Party Approaches to Environmental Problems
Here’s where things get spicy. The Liberal Party has walked back its 2050 net-zero commitment, according to recent policy statements, instead focusing on what they call “practical economic approaches” over strict emission targets. Their pitch? Economic growth doesn’t have to crash headfirst into environmental protection if you’re smart about it.
The National Party aligns with this view, particularly relevant for country areas in Eastern Victoria like Sale, Orbost, and up through the high country. They’re questioning some climate science conclusions and calling for continued research without what they see as “drastic measures” that could hurt farming and regional industries.
Both parties argue that environmentalism shouldn’t come at the cost of jobs in Gippsland’s traditional industries. They point to technological solutions and market-driven change rather than government mandates. Whether that’s enough to tackle environmental problems like increasing bushfire risk or changing rainfall patterns is the billion-dollar question.
Greens’ Environmental Science-Based Platform
The Greens aren’t mucking about. Their platform puts strong environmental protection front and center, directly tied to renewable energy expansion and biodiversity conservation, as outlined in their Victorian Greens policy platform.
They’re calling out what they see as insufficient action on environmental problems, arguing that half-measures won’t cut it when we’re facing ecosystem collapse. For Eastern Victoria, this means ambitious targets for renewable energy projects, possibly including offshore wind farms off the Gippsland coast and expanded solar farms across suitable agricultural land.
The Greens also want stronger powers for environmental consultants and the Environment Protection Agency to block developments that threaten native habitats. They’re big on celebrating World Environment Day with actual policy, not just social media posts.
Their critics reckon this approach could slow economic development, but Greens supporters argue that ignoring environmental science now means paying a much bigger price later, especially in fire-prone and flood-vulnerable areas across Eastern Victoria.
One Nation’s Climate Research Position
One Nation sits in the skeptical corner, believing in continued climate research but arguing there’s insufficient evidence for environmental catastrophes, according to their published policy positions. They question mainstream climate science and oppose what they see as alarmist predictions.
For voters in Eastern Victoria, this translates to a platform that prioritizes immediate economic concerns over long-term environmental planning. They’d likely oppose aggressive emissions reduction targets and question the need for rapid transition away from traditional energy sources.
Their position on pollution, water quality, and local environmental issues like plastic pollution tends toward voluntary industry action rather than regulatory enforcement. It’s a hands-off approach that appeals to some but worries others who’ve watched environmental problems worsen over recent decades.
The Opportunity Everyone’s Missing
Here’s the thing that should unite voters from Pakenham through to Mallacoota: there’s a massive opportunity to accelerate grid modernization and support community-owned renewables across Eastern Victoria. According to energy analysts and the United Nations Environment Programme, decentralized renewable energy can boost regional resilience while cutting emissions.
The trick is balancing this transition with reliability. Nobody wants to choose between saving the planet and keeping the lights on during a heatwave or cold snap. Regional areas have already copped power shortages, and Eastern Victoria’s economy depends on reliable energy for everything from dairy farms to tourism operators in places like Lakes Entrance and Metung.
Smart environmental policy for Eastern Victoria means:
Supporting local renewable projects that keep energy dollars circulating in communities rather than flowing to multinational corporations. Community solar farms near Traralgon or wind cooperatives in the hills could generate local jobs while cutting emissions.
Protecting natural assets like the Mitchell River, Gippsland Lakes, and Ninety Mile Beach from pollution water runoff and development pressure. These aren’t just pretty postcards; they’re economic engines for tourism and commercial fishing.
Investing in environmental science education so the next generation of environmental consultants, land managers, and policy makers come from our own communities. TAFE campuses and universities across the region could lead this charge.
Making Environment Day mean something by tying policy announcements to measurable outcomes, not just photo opportunities.
The parties might disagree on how fast to move or how much government should intervene, but most Victorians in Eastern Victoria know that environment protection and economic opportunity don’t have to be enemies. We’ve got the sun, wind, agricultural know-how, and natural beauty to build something better.
Whether you’re in suburban Pakenham watching Melbourne’s sprawl creep closer, living in the Mornington Peninsula fighting to protect coastal environments, or farming in the high country around Omeo worrying about changing weather patterns, the 2026 election gives you a chance to push whoever wins toward smarter environmental policy.
The best outcome? Parties are competing to offer better solutions rather than arguing about whether problems exist. Because out here in the real world of Eastern Victoria, we’re already living with the consequences of environmental decisions made decades ago. Time to make some better ones.
FAQ
What is a simple definition of environment?