Environment Minister Murray Watt says the Opposition and the Greens should study his EPBC bill before criticising it. Photo: Murray Watt.
Labor looks set for a tougher time than it had hoped for in getting its environmental protection legislation passed into law, with neither the Coalition nor the Greens happy with what is already known about it.
The Federal Government will introduce the much-anticipated legislation to parliament next week, but has this week revealed some elements of its plan to overhaul Australia’s environmental protection framework.
In doing so, Environment Minister Murray Watt made it clear that a ‘climate trigger’ will not be part of the bill.
A climate trigger could have vetoed major mining and development projects based on the amount of carbon they would emit.
The Greens had pushed hard for such a trigger to be included in the bill, but with news that it is to be excluded, the party, which holds the balance of power in the Senate, isn’t inclined to support it.
Greens environment spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the proposed reforms, as they stand, are “not worth the paper they’re printed on” and were too favourable to big polluting industries.
“The Environment Minister’s job is to protect the environment, not just make approvals easier and cheaper for big business,” she said.
“Labor’s laws fast-track environmental destruction and do nothing to guarantee protection for the environment.
“Rather than closing loopholes that give bulldozers and chainsaws free rein, this package is riddled with carve-out clauses to suit industry.”
Senator Hanson-Young said the bill had been drafted with the interests of the mining industry “front and centre” and is worse than the status quo.
“The Greens have been very clear from the start – we will not rubber-stamp laws that fail to protect our native forests, wildlife and climate,” she said.
“If the minister wants to protect nature, then he has a lot of work to do.”
Neither is the Coalition happy with what is known about the draft laws.
The Opposition initially claimed a victory over the exclusion of a climate trigger, but says there is much more work to be done to assure industry development approvals won’t be easily blocked.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley described the current environmental protection laws as a “basket case” that need drastic changes to be acceptable to business.
What she has seen so far does not convince the Coalition that the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was being improved.
“Unless this government can give industry the confidence that it cares about accelerating those approvals, then I fear that projects like the critical minerals project that was inked in Washington just a few days ago are not going to bring forward the development that is expected, needed and deserved,” she said.
She said while the EPBC Act is about threatened species, matters of national environmental significance and protecting the environment, it is also about delivering approvals for projects in a timely manner and “actually getting the job done” so investors don’t walk away and choose to invest in another country.
“Matters relating to climate belong in climate legislation,” Ms Ley said.
“So for Murray Watt to declare that this is some sort of win is actually irrelevant.
“What worries me is the existing structure of environmental laws. It’s a basket case right now, and there’s nothing in what has been said today that gives investors or the Coalition confidence that this government actually understands what the problem is and has a plan to address it.”
The Nationals have also expressed concerns over the legislation’s potential inclusion of forestry projects and ‘no-go zones’ for development.
Shadow trade minister Kevin Hogan described the bill as “environmental ideology”, while shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie fears it could strip farmers of the right to appeal over their land being resumed.
Labor’s previous attempt at renewing the EPBC Act was derailed last year, and the Coalition also failed when it tried during its last term in government.
Senator Watt has urged the Opposition and the Greens not to jump to early conclusions over this attempt.
The minister said they should wait for the bill to be introduced before criticising it.
The government had been in separate consultations with both parties and had been hopeful of finding support.
Senator Watt remains hopeful the bill will still eventually pass.
“I don’t rule out the possibility that we can ultimately get support from the Coalition and the Greens for this bill,” he said.
“I know we are a long way from that, but there are real improvements for both the environment and for business in this bill, so the Coalition and the Greens have got every reason to get behind them.
“The alternative is if they vote against these bills, they would be voting against improvements for business to get approvals done more quickly, they would be voting against improvements to the natural environment, and I wouldn’t have thought either the Coalition or the Greens want to be accused of that.”
