Eco offices face closure over tax changes

Environmental advocates will be forced to close their doors if a federal government plan to strip donations of tax deductibility goes ahead, an inquiry has heard.

Representatives from the Environmental Defenders Office told a Senate inquiry in Brisbane that they were reliant on private donations after their federal funding was cut.

The hearing into the Abbott government's environmental policies heard a number of EDO offices were facing closure.

The defenders office is a national network of environmental lawyers who provide legal advice to the community.

Greens Senator Larissa Waters said the plan to make donations non-tax deductible was an attempt by the government shield itself from accountability.

"The real concern is that the EDO will cease to exist and that would be a real travesty for community access to environmental justice," she said.