Australia’s environmental management framework is undergoing a timely review to overhaul the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The government’s proposed reforms seek to fundamentally transform the way national environmental matters are assessed, approved and enforced. A generation of kite-flying by the far-right against environmental legislation might ease off in 2026.
Adam Morton in The Guardian (24 November 2025) is quite upbeat on the possibilities of more long-awaited consensus on environmental issues with some goodwill across the Senate where Labor does not have a working majority:
“The government is still pushing to pass its major changes, despite not yet having reached an agreement with either the Greens or the Coalition.
The Greens appear to be inching closer to a deal on updating the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, with the Coalition still refusing to back the changes. But the Minerals Council has joined other peak business groups in urging the Liberals and Nationals to back the changes, with the environment minister, Murray Watt, pledging to make a deal with whoever will come to the table first.
“We will pass these reforms this week with whichever of the Coalition and the Greens is willing to work with us to deliver that balanced package,” Watt said on Sunday.
Greens and Labor sources said they expected the two parties could come to an agreement later in the week, ahead of parliament rising on Thursday afternoon, but the Greens environment spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, wanted more limits on fossil fuel developments before signing up.
‘We also want to make sure we’re not seeing coal and gas fossil fuel projects accelerated,’ she told the ABC’s Insiders.”
Google Bard has summarized key features of the proposed legislation. I do not have the resources to compete with this synopsis of complex legislation:
- Establishment of New Regulatory Bodies: The creation of an independent, national Environment Protection Australia (EPA) agency responsible for compliance and enforcement, and Environment Information Australia (EIA) to provide comprehensive environmental data and reporting.
- National Environmental Standards (NES): The introduction of new, legally-binding standards against which development projects would be assessed, replacing the previous, often vague, policy guidance. The intent is to provide clarity and better protect Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES).
- “Net Gain” and “Unacceptable Impacts” Principles: The legislation proposes that development must result in a “net gain” for the environment and provides for the refusal of projects deemed to have “unacceptable impacts.”
- Retention of Ministerial Discretion: The Federal Environment Minister retains the final decision-making power for major project approvals, including the ability to approve a project, in the “national interest,” even if it does not strictly meet the new national environmental standards.
- Exclusion of a “Climate Trigger”: The government has explicitly ruled out including a “climate trigger” – a mechanism that would require the assessment and potential refusal of projects based on their significant greenhouse gas emissions.
- Nature Repair Market: Establishment of a mechanism to encourage investment in biodiversity restoration
Passage of this legislation will be one of the highlights of the post-election period in 2025. ABC News (24 November 2025) offers an interpretation of the state of play on these vital issues which are fundamental to the achievement of emissions targets, the national economy and the quality of live for Australians and their inherited ecosystems:
A stand-off over environment laws will shape the final week of the parliamentary year, as Labor continues to insist it will deal with either the Coalition or the Greens to pass the new measures.
Environment Minister Murray Watt declared on Sunday that it was a case of “now or never” for his bill, which he says will bolster the protection of natural landscapes and wildlife while also streamlining the assessment of large construction projects.
The federal government has spent three years trying to bridge the gap between business and environment groups and deliver a long-awaited update to a system most agree is broken, failing to protect nature while also creating lengthy delays for developers.
Senator Watt said he had offered concessions to both the opposition and the crossbench over the weekend.
“I think we’re very close. I had some further meetings and discussions with both the Coalition and the Greens over the weekend and that has definitely narrowed the issues,” he told ABC Radio National.
“I’m very confident that we’ll pass the laws. It’s less clear who they’ll be with … I am prepared to compromise a little bit more on either side to get this through as long as we don’t get rid of [the] core principles.”
The offer to the Greens is to apply national standards to forest logging applications instead of leaving them to the states. That falls short of Greens’ calls to ban native forest logging, but Sarah Hanson-Young reserved her position on Sunday.
As an ongoing supporter of a more united front between Labor, the Greens and progressive members of the crossbench, I am quite sympathetic to the stand taken by the Greens on this issue. Responsible environmental sustainability is not really at the expense of the economic growth, investment and productivity.
With the outstanding negotiating skills of Senator Murray Watt, Labor can also responsibly appease the demands of the LNP on their perceived shortcomings of the legislation (ABC News 24 November 2025):
The Coalition issued its demands last week, asking to water down the powers of the new environmental agency, scrap emissions reporting requirements, and clarify the minister’s power to refuse applications with “unacceptable” environmental harms.
With most of the parliament onside in supporting reforms to Environmental Laws, the issue of environmental sustainability might be taken out of a divisive adversarial phase.
Susan Ley’s support for the new environmental consensus will do no harm to the remnants of LNP’s primary vote in middle income urban electorates as the LNP’s far-right circles over regional and outer metro electorates like Longman in Brisbane. The LNP would be better off with Barnaby Joyce diverted to a last stand with One Nation against environmental consensus.
Cheers to Murray Watt as the new environmental consensus-builder nationally and a stalwart of moderation within the LNP Opposition.
Denis Bright (pictured) is a financial member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). Denis is committed to consensus-building on the critical issues raised in each article. Your comments on this and related articles can be recorded on theaimn.net site.
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Watt’s first move as environment Minister, as they were still removing the election bunting,was to approve the gigantic, planet killing, North West Shelf gas travesty.Why would we trust anything these fork tongued, fossil fuel puppets propose.?
After five years since the Samuel’s Report and constant dithering by the Greens and delaying tactics by the coalition, it’s time to pass this legislation and stop the efforts by some to push it into 2026.
Just do it!
It disturbs me the attempts to “balance” the interests in favour of business, this is after all the ENVIRONMENT protection act. Wonder if any parliamentary acts for business interests include environmental issues? Yes, I know, I’m dreaming.
As Mike Rank said in his recent speech the “renting” of politicians. Reckon he’s hit the nail on the head.
Despite Dennis’ ringing optimism, this time I follow Cheryl and Harry Lime.
More fighting against environmental protections.
Let’s hope the climate wars are over now.
Environmental laws will Trump the Drill Baby Drill Scenarios from Powerful Friends being imposed on Australia by the Murdoch Press and Sky News
Environmental laws must be owned across the political spectrum. Having the Greens and the LNP onside in varying degrees helps to end those climate wars while still promoting an increase in affordable hosing supply.
It seems the Liberals are opposed to passing these changes, not so much because of what they represent but more to stop Labor from having a win in the final week of the 2025 parliament. The coalition seem to be more concerned with maintaining their NO to everything strategy than actually achieving meaningful change.
The Greens may at the last moment come onside as their amendments seem to be more constructive – we shall see!
Terry, I don’t entirly accept your case.
I beleive the ALP has deliberately obfuscated on enviro since the Tassie rainforests debacle to protect its money sources.
OK, who blames them in a system like this, but the flaws here are with the system and the capture of those forces best able to defend ther country on science and reason.
Paul
Talking of obfuscation!
I saw Ted O’Brien speaking at the National Press Club today – I told my wife ‘that man is a master of Obfuscation‘. Will not talk about policies they took to the last election because that is history and will not talk about future policies as they are in the process of being formulated.
God help us if this man ever becomes our federal Treasurer – Obfuscation is the obscuring of the intended meaning of communication by making the message difficult to understand, usually with confusing and ambiguous language, sums up Ted and his snake oil.
Terry, I’d call Ted a neanderthal, but it would be unfair on neanderthals.
Let’s end Green Tape with Labor’s initiatives to deliver more affordable houses and transport oriented development
According to the news this morning, the coalition have dealt themselves out of the environmental law reforms and will not vote with the government on this legislation.
So it comes down to the Greens and in my view it would have been surprising if the coalition had departed from their long held policy of voting against all government sponsored legislation.
Due to her childish antics Pauline Hanson will not be present in the senate to vote against the legislation (not that she would have known what was being voted on).
A great end of year achievement in environmental reform across the parliament: But how did Senator Fatima Payman vote?