Labor has struck a deal with the Greens to pass the largest reforms to Australia's environmental laws in 26 years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced at a press conference on Thursday morning that the government's law reforms would pass parliament later in the day.
It comes more than five years after professor Graeme Samuel delivered his landmark review of Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2020.
"This is a landmark day for the environment in this country," Albanese told reporters in Canberra.
The seven bills are set to pass the Senate on the final sitting day of the parliamentary year, after passing the lower house last month.
The reforms include new environmental standards to guide project decisions based on environmental impacts and changing the thresholds for accepting or rejecting high-polluting projects.
A national Environment Protection Agency will be set up, and there will be higher penalties for serious breaches of environmental law.
Stronger rules will be imposed on land clearing and native forest logging, and companies will need to disclose the greenhouse gas emissions expected from projects when they submit them for approval.
Albanese said the government would also establish a $300 million forestry growth fund to support jobs in the industry.
Environment Minister Murray Watt said the passage of the laws had been "years in the making".
'Tough' negotiations
On Wednesday, Watt had a flurry of negotiation meetings with both the Greens and the Coalition, having offered both sides a different set of amendments the previous day to get them across the line.
In the concessions sent on Tuesday, seen by SBS News, Labor addressed the Greens' concerns about coal and gas expansion by limiting the fast-tracking of fossil fuel projects and excluding the expansion of coal and gas from the national interest exemption.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young told ABC on Thursday morning that there had been "tough negotiation" with Labor over the reforms.
"We've put a stop to the fossil fuel industry getting fast track and easy access to environmental approvals."
When asked about negotiations with the Coalition, Watt told reporters the Opposition is "in shambles" when it comes to policy.
"The Coalition is a shambles, and they've been a shambles on these negotiations as well," he said.
"You can't strike a deal with someone who doesn’t know what they want."
Watt said he has "great confidence" in the laws after working with the Greens.
"That gives me confidence that these laws will work for both the environment and for business."
— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
Share
