Environment Minister Murray Watt to introduce overhauled environmental laws
A political battle is brewing over an overhaul of Australia’s outdated environment laws, with Environment Minister Murray Watt hoping to mint a deal by the end of the year.
States will have more powers to speed up lengthy environmental approvals and the environment minister will have special powers to approve significant projects in the national interest, as Murray Watt makes a second attempt to overhaul of Australia’s deadlocked environment laws.
The revised update to the outdated Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 will be introduced in parliament on Thursday after Labor and the Greens failed to reach a deal prior to the election.
Senator Watt will aim to pass the reforms when parliament sits for the last time in late November, with the Bill set to go to a short 25-day inquiry, with the aim of convincing either the Coalition or Greens to pass the legislation.
The Coalition says the loosely defined restrictions around “unacceptable impacts” and “net gain” regarding emissions would hurt business investment, while the Greens argue the environment protections did not go far enough.
Department analysis says the reforms could inject between $500m to $7bn into the economy, and aims to speed up approvals for critical housing, renewable energy and critical mineral projects, while protecting the environment.
Under the proposed legislation, states would be able to enter bilateral agreements for specific projects to remove state and Commonwealth duplications, however these systems would be drafted after the passage of the Bill.
In a move that has irked Labor backbenchers like Ed Husic, the Environment Minister would also be able to sideline laws and approve projects in the national interest, however this would be done in rare circumstances like defence or national security initiatives.
Senator Watt will call for bipartisan support in a speech at the National Press Club on Thursday, where he will say it’s “now or never” for a green-tape overhaul.
He will also call on the Coalition to put aside their “internal splits” and the Greens’ “absolutism” stating the minor party is attempting to use the reforms as a “fundraising vehicle to win back the seats they lost”.
The Business Council of Australia has urged the government to extend consultation and discussions by mid 2026, with the ultimate aim of getting bipartisan agreement with the Coalition to guarantee certainty for business.
Chief executive said changes which went “too far in favour of environmental interests” would “drive investment overseas,” while overly preferential treatment of business would “simply prompt … further reform”.
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Originally published as Environment Minister Murray Watt to introduce overhauled environmental laws
