Mining sector urges quick deal on nature reforms
The mining industry wants an agreement on landmark conservation reforms to pass Labor’s comprehensive bill before Christmas.
The nearly 1,500-page bill rewriting the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is expected to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Environment Minister Murray Watt said he was continuing deep discussions with the coalition and the Greens and made “no apologies” for acting in haste.
“The challenge for the coalition is can they focus on the next few weeks?” he told reporters in Canberra.
“We know they are incredibly divided on net zero, and that seems to hinder their ability to make up their minds about what they think about these reforms.”
While a Senate inquiry examining the bills has been established and will release its findings in March, the government hopes an agreement on the legislation will be reached in the coming months.
Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable called on Labor and the coalition to reach a swift agreement to pass the bill as soon as possible, which includes changes to ease business concerns.
“A bill that balances protecting the environment, building public confidence and getting projects up and running, including critical minerals, would be a win for both the industry and Australia,” he told AAP.
But the coalition and the Greens say concessions must be made if Labor wants the bill to pass before the end of the year.
“There’s plenty of time for the Senate to look at this and examine it,” Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young told Sky News.
Senator Hanson-Young says it is necessary to close loopholes and remove registration exemptions, while Nationals MP Kevin Hogan wants to see more streamlined processes to get projects approved faster.
Meanwhile, the coalition’s internal division over energy policy has widened further after the National Party abandoned its pledge to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The controversy has led to speculation that Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s days in the top job are numbered and that she will pursue the Nationals to retain her position.
Ms Ley is expected to announce her net zero position within two weeks, and the party is scheduled to meet on November 23, the day before the last sitting week of the year.
