Australia’s housing crisis, climate change efforts, and the push to boost productivity all hinge on updating the country’s outdated environmental laws, according to Environment Minister Murray Watt.
However, Watt made it clear that these reforms will not be introduced this year. After a recent meeting aimed at refocusing the debate on overhauling the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Watt emphasized that success or failure in rewriting these 25-year-old laws could determine the outcome of several national priorities.
“Passing these reforms is essential for achieving many of our key goals,” Watt said. “We need these laws to deliver the homes Australians need, to position Australia as a renewable energy powerhouse, to advance our local manufacturing initiatives, to meet our productivity challenges, and to fulfill the aspirations of Indigenous Australians.”
While legislation is not expected before Christmas, Watt noted that there is broad consensus among stakeholders including miners, environmental advocates, and developers that the reforms should be completed within 18 months.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young criticized the delay, which could extend reforms that have already been in progress for more than five years. She urged the minister to commit to blocking any approvals of major polluting projects until the new legislation is in place.
“An 18-month delay means more forests could be destroyed, koala habitats bulldozed, and fossil fuel companies allowed to continue polluting,” Hanson-Young warned. “I call on the minister to impose a moratorium on native forest destruction, critical habitat loss, and fossil fuel mining while these consultations and legislative processes unfold.”
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