Environment Minister sets timeline for nature law reforms, sidesteps climate trigger

Environment Minister Murray Watt has unveiled a fresh 18-month timeline to overhaul Australia’s outdated nature protection laws, reviving long-stalled reforms recommended by the 2020 Samuel review.

The reforms aim to address widespread agreement among stakeholders—including environmentalists, industry groups, and Indigenous leaders - that the existing Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act is outdated and ineffective.

Watt expressed support for new national environmental standards, a central recommendation of the 2020 Samuel review, but did not confirm whether a climate trigger would be included.

Instead, Watt highlighted existing policies like the safeguard mechanism and Australia’s commitments under the Paris Agreement as the main tools for managing emissions.

In 2024, former minister Tanya Plibersek had nearly secured crossbench support for a federal environmental protection agency, but the deal collapsed amid political pressure linked to West Australian mining interests.

The current Minister, Murray Watt, says the laws are "not adequately protecting the environment... they’re not delivering for business in terms of certainty and timeliness of approval.”

Watt confirmed the government would introduce the reforms as a single package, rather than in stages, and said he was willing to work with either the Greens or the Coalition to secure passage.

Clean energy and conservation groups have urged the government to accelerate reform, calling for faster and more predictable approval processes to support the transition to renewable energy.

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