Coalition supports environmental reforms with changes
The coalition will back Labour’s long-awaited environmental reforms if a set of changes are agreed to.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said the coalition was seeking “sensible” changes to the 1,500-page bill proposing to rewrite the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
“If they are passed, we will support the legislation next week,” Ms Ley said in a statement.
“But if the government rejects sensible proposals and chooses to put things at risk, then we will vote against them with an open mind to revisit negotiations next year.”
Timing is crucial for Environment Minister Murray Watt, who has expressed confidence that the reforms will pass the Senate before Christmas, with only four sitting days left in the parliamentary year before the summer recess.
“We are on the verge of something truly special as our national environmental law reforms are set to pass the Senate next week,” Senator Watt told the Queensland Press Club.
But the Business Council of Australia and veteran environmentalist Bob Brown were among those urging Labor not to rush the legislation at a parliamentary committee hearing examining the bill on Thursday.
Ms Ley echoed similar concerns, saying: “The Labor Party must not be hasty, parliament cannot rush to failure.”
The reforms aim to speed up development approvals, including housing, energy and critical mineral projects, while also protecting the environment.
Senator Watt has previously indicated that he is open to negotiating some elements of the legislation with the party that gave him much of what he put forward.
The coalition’s recommendations closely align with the Business Council’s concerns, which also include a clear definition of the minister’s power to reject projects because of their “unacceptable impacts”.
It also aims to change the powers of the proposed national Environmental Protection Agency, arguing that the authority to evaluate and approve projects should remain with the minister.
The coalition says proposed fines of up to $825 million for violations of the law go too far and that other avenues for streamlined approvals should be included.
Opposition media spokeswoman Angie Bell said the changes put forward reflected concerns raised by the business community and offered “reasonable solutions”.
“We offer reasonable solutions and are actively seeking a way forward that will benefit jobs and the environment,” Ms Bell said.
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