The Australian Greens have urged the Federal Government to act earlier to protect the habitat of threatened species, following revelations that Christmas Island's Pipistrelle bat is doomed to extinction.

"I'm saddened but not surprised that it has come to this," Greens Senator for WA Rachel Siewert said. "This is a difficult species to capture and the idea of a captive breeding program was too little, too late.

The Australian Greens are backing commercial fishing operators in saying serious questions need answering about the West Atlas oil spill and the clean-up operation.

"The clean-up operation must minimise the environmental impacts of this spill. I am very concerned about information my office is receiving about the impacts of the oil and potential impacts of the clean up operation itself on marine life in the area. I'm concerned to hear that fishers are seeing marine life affected by the spill, " Greens Senator for WA Rachel Siewert said.

Claims by Kevin Rudd that the Gorgon gas project must go ahead on an A-class reserve at Barrow Island so that the project’s emissions can be sequestered in reservoirs beneath the island are undermined by the proponents’ own figures, Greens Senator for WA Rachel Siewert says.

“Out of the nearly nine million tonnes-a-year of CO2 emissions that the Gorgon project will create, the proponents quite clearly state that they planning to geo-sequester less than half,” Senator Siewert said.

The Australian Greens today called on the Rudd Government to explain how it can announce its endorsement of a $50 Billion gas deal with China before the Gorgon project had received Commonwealth environmental approval.

"The message to us seems clear - threatened species will not be allowed to get in the way of development under Rudd, and environmental conditions are nothing more than a means of green-washing projects destined to go ahead regardless of their environmental impacts," said Senator Rachel Siewert today.

Greens Senator for WA Rachel Siewert has urged the Minister for Heritage, Peter Garrett to take seriously potential damage to a national heritage-listed site on Western Australia's Burrup Peninsular.

"We hear that the Heritage Minister's Department has gone to the trouble of seeking expert archaeological and legal advice about whether multinational Cemex has damaged artefacts of national heritage significance on the Burrup," Senator Siewert said.

"We now need to know the outcome of this advice and what Minister Garrett plans to do about it.

Today, Federal Greens senators for WA Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam joined WA Greens Upper House MPs Giz Watson, Robin Chapple, Alison Xamon and Lynn MacLaren on the steps of the WA Parliament to congratulate Adele Carles on her historic win of the seat of Fremantle.

"This is the first time the Greens have ever beaten the ALP on primary votes," Ms Carles said.

"The people of Fremantle have entrusted the Greens with their first seat in the WA Legislative Assembly.

The Senate today moved to establish an inquiry into the Government's handling of awarding employment services contracts.

"The Greens and Coalition Senators today referred this issue to a Senate Inquiry to review the decision making processes, and the outcomes of the tender process. The key questions are whether Australia's employment services will be better or worse as a result of this process and most importantly will those Australians without a job be supported as they need to be," said Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.

Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia Rachel Siewert today expressed deep concern that the Federal budget leaves many people behind and does not develop the new green economy.

"While the increase of $32.49 per week for single aged pensioners is a welcome step, the Government has not addressed the crisis Australia is facing in aged care. In fact, for Western Australia I am deeply concerned that beds may need to close and many older people will face deeper hardship, particularly in regional and rural areas," said Senator Siewert.