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Parliament will pass sweeping environmental law reforms today, ending a five-year stalemate and creating Australia’s first National Environment Protection Agency while promising to cut project approval times from years to weeks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the breakthrough Thursday morning, describing the reforms as “sensible, responsible and balanced laws” that deliver on Labor’s 2022 election promise to fix the nation’s “broken” environmental protections.
“Today I can announce our Government’s landmark environmental law reforms will pass to Parliament today, holding a new era for the environment and productivity in Australia,” Albanese told reporters at Parliament House.
The Environment Protection Reform Bill amends the 25-year-old Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which an independent review by Professor Graeme Samuel found was “not fit for purpose.” That review was handed down more than five years ago.
“These laws will reduce approval times from years to months and from months to weeks,” Albanese said.
The reforms establish Australia’s first independent environmental regulator and introduce national standards for environmental protection—both firsts for the country. The Senate is expected to vote on the package today.
New Agency Gets Enforcement Powers
The National Environment Protection Agency will operate as an independent regulator focused on compliance and enforcement of environmental laws.
“A strong independent regulator with a clear focus on ensuring better compliance with and stronger enforcement of Australia’s new environmental laws,” Albanese said.
The agency will have enhanced enforcement tools, including higher penalties for significant breaches and environment protection orders for urgent circumstances to prevent major violations.
Stop work orders will be limited to 14 days, with ministers able to extend them for an additional 14 days if deemed appropriate.
Forestry Industry Gets $300 Million Boost
The government will establish a $300 million Forestry Growth Fund alongside the reforms, targeting industry modernization and higher-value timber processing.
The fund comes as the government removes exemptions for high-risk land clearing and regional forest agreements from environmental laws. Those activities will now face the same standards as other industries.
“This is about using science and evidence to prove all forestry in Australia is undertaken at the highest standard,” Albanese said.
The fund will invest in equipment upgrades and facilities for advanced processing, including retooling timber mills. A timber fiber strategy developed with industry outlines how the forestry sector is shifting toward plantation timber.
“The government is backing forestry and timber workers through our Forestry Growth Fund that will invest in new equipment and facilities to enable industry modernisation and advanced processing,” Albanese said.
Climate Disclosure Requirements Added
Large emitting projects will be required to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and emission reduction plans under the new framework.
The government maintained federal approval powers through the water trigger on coal and gas projects, particularly for areas like the Murray-Darling Basin where water tables cross state boundaries.
“The water trigger is absolutely essential,” Albanese said.
Business Community Demands Met
The reforms incorporate key business sector requests, particularly around defining “unacceptable impacts”—a term in the original House of Representatives bill that industry groups said created uncertainty.
“We will respond to what was the business community’s main demand, and that was that we needed to better define unacceptable impacts,” Albanese said.
The package also clarifies the concept of “net gain” and allows extensions of “not controlled action decisions” that have lapsed. The change means projects like roads to developments awaiting assessment approvals can proceed under a “common sense approach.”
Five Years of Consultation
The government consulted extensively with business groups, environmental organizations and community groups before reaching the final package.
Environment Minister Murray Watt led negotiations across the country to deliver the reforms. Albanese praised Greens senators Larissa Waters and Sarah Hanson-Young for negotiating “in good faith,” along with Coalition figures including Senator Jonathon Duniam and the Shadow Environment Minister.
“I want to thank those people in the business community and in the environmental movement who engaged constructively to get this outcome,” Albanese said.
Coalition members participated in negotiations but their final position on the bill was not immediately clear from Albanese’s remarks.
Fast-Track for Priority Projects
The reforms include measures to speed decision-making for projects in “key areas of national priority” including housing, renewable energy and critical minerals.
The new framework aims to deliver certainty for business and community stakeholders while maintaining environmental protections for current and future generations.
“This is a landmark day for the environment in this country,” Albanese said. “It is also a good day for business in this country by providing more certainty, reducing delays, and making sure that we get better outcomes and improved productivity.”
The bill’s passage today marks the culmination of reform efforts dating back to Samuel’s 2020 review, which found the EPBC Act had failed to adequately protect the environment while creating regulatory bottlenecks for development.
The new laws take effect once they receive royal assent, with the National Environment Protection Agency expected to be operational within months.
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