The landmark reforms implement key recommendations of Professor Graeme Samuel’s independent review of the nation’s 25-year-old environmental laws, more than five years after it was handed down.

The Government’s Environment Protection Reform Bill updated the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act to better protect nature while fast-tracking approvals for housing, infrastructure, renewables and critical minerals projects.

Mr Neumann used a speech in Parliament on Thursday to highlight that the reforms will help tackle housing supply and affordability, and road congestion and safety in the Ipswich region.

He said the EPBC laws had been holding up local housing and road projects, like the Mount Crosby Road interchange upgrade, and the reforms will allow these and future projects to be assessed more quickly to cater for strong population growth in the western corridor.

“Some housing developments in the Greater Springfield area have been in limbo for five years as a result of ‘green tape’ and EPBC approvals, delaying vital housing supply in the middle of a housing crisis,” Mr Neumann said.

“On top of this, EPBC requirements and associated ecological assessments for the much-needed Mount Crosby Road Interchange upgrade on the Warrego Highway in my electorate – a major freight and commuter corridor – have seen the finalisation of the design pushed back by around 18 months.

“So, the laws are costing business time and money, and strangling the homes and infrastructure we need.

“This was a big theme coming out of both a local Blair growth and productivity roundtable I held in August, as well as the Treasurer’s national Economic Reform Roundtable.”  

In his speech, Mr Neumann said the Government’s environment law reforms will also deliver stronger protections for nature and pointed to a number of initiatives already underway in the region.

“For example, ahead of the last election, I was proud to announce a $1.2 million commitment from Labor towards Goodness Enterprises’ Koala Rehabilitation and Education Centre at the Goodness Chuwar Conservation Parklands in Tivoli on the north side of Ipswich,” he said.

“This builds on our support for local environment groups and projects in Blair during the last term, under the Government’s $76-million Saving Koalas Fund.

“As well, we’re investing $3 million through the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program to improve habitat for species like the platypus and Queensland lungfish in the Bremer, Woogaroo and Brisbane catchments in the Ipswich region.

“Labor’s reforms are good for the environment, good for jobs, good for certainty and good for industry.

“They will deliver tangible benefits for the environment and protect what is precious. But they will also boost productivity, cutting approval times for key projects and injecting up to $7 billion into the economy.”

Background

Key environmental measures in the Albanese Government’s amended Bill:

• For the first time, Australia will have a National Environment Protection Agency (EPA) – a strong, independent regulator with a clear focus on ensuring better compliance with and stronger enforcement of Australia’s new environmental laws.
• In another first, Australia will have National Environmental Standards, to ensure clear, strong guidelines to protect the environment.
• Higher penalties for the most significant breaches of environmental law, as well as environment protection orders for use in urgent circumstances to prevent and respond to major contraventions of the law.
• Removing and sunsetting the exemption from the EPBC Act for high-risk land clearing and regional forest agreements, so that they comply with the same rules and standards as other industries.
• Requiring proponents of large emitting projects to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and their emission reduction plans.
• Maintaining federal approval of “water trigger” coal and gas projects.

Key measures to speed up decision-making for business and the community:

• A new Streamlined Assessment Pathway, to significantly reduce the timeframe for proponents who provide sufficient information upfront, providing incentive to meet the standards upfront. This will deliver faster decisions, saving businesses time and money.
• New and improved bilateral agreements with states to remove duplication for the assessment and approval of projects.
• Regional planning, to deliver ‘go’ and ‘no go’ zones, delivering greater certainty to business, and future planning at a landscape scale, rather than project-by-project assessment.
• Clarifying definitions of “unacceptable impacts” and “net gain” for the environment and restraining the operation of Environmental Protection Orders.