Last-minute deal to pass contentious nature reforms
Zac de Silva, Grace Crivellaro and Tess Ikonomou |
Natural sites will be better protected while major infrastructure, energy and housing projects will secure fast-tracked approvals under an eleventh-hour compromise between Labor and the Greens to pass landmark environment reforms.
After weeks of tense negotiations, the overhaul of environmental protections is expected to pass parliament on Thursday with the minor party’s support.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the laws as a “win-win” which would clarify the current broken regulations.
“I describe this as a great win for the environment and a great win for business,” he told reporters in Canberra.
The reforms will create a National Environment Protection Agency, charged with enforcing the regulations, which is set to start operating from July 2026.
Penalties will be toughened for major breaches of environment laws, and stronger rules will be imposed on land clearing and native forest logging.
Approvals will also be fast-tracked for some major projects, while in a concession to the logging industry, the government will establish a $300 million forestry growth fund to support jobs.
Companies will need to disclose the greenhouse gas emissions expected from projects when they submit them for approval.
Greens leader Larissa Waters said her party didn’t get everything it wanted during the talks but she was proud of what it had achieved.
“The Greens are determined to get shit done,” she told reporters after the deal was announced.
“What we’ve been able to secure from the government, after strong and lengthy negotiations, is a package that improves our environmental laws.”
Environment Minister Murray Watt has long insisted he was willing to do a deal on the laws with either the Greens or the coalition.
But Mr Albanese said the Liberals’ negotiating tactics made a final agreement “impossible”.
“The coalition deal wasn’t on the table. That was the problem,” he said.
Parliament is scheduled to rise on Thursday but may need to sit briefly on Friday morning to wave the laws through.
Debate has been guillotined to ensure the laws are given the green light before politicians return home for the summer break.
AAP
