Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australia's biodiversity is one of the richest and most extraordinary on Earth. From our ancient rainforests and our vast deserts to our coastal wetlands and coral reefs, we are home to species and ecosystems found nowhere else. This diversity is not just a source of national pride but also the foundation of our national strength.

Healthy ecosystems support our economy, our communities and our way of life. They filter our air and water and protect our coastlines from erosion. They provide the natural resources and services that sustain agriculture, tourism and industry, and, for many of us, keep a steady flow of water from our taps, whenever we need it—something that's often taken for granted. Without birds, and bees and insects transferring pollen from one plant to another, our crops would fail. Without wetlands filtering and storing water, our rivers would run dry. Without our riparian zones, urban and agricultural run-off would pollute our waterways, leading to algal blooms and species loss. Without forests absorbing carbon, our climate would be harsher and more volatile. Without forests, our climate is further dysregulated and our soils are poorer. These ecosystem services are the quiet workhorses of our economy. They save us billions of dollars every year by doing what no technology can fully replicate. Protecting them is not just good environmental policy; it is sound economic policy.

We also know the benefit of natural spaces to our mental and physical health. Parks, trails and gardens give people places to connect with nature, to exercise and to find calm. They bring shade and lower the temperatures of our suburbs. They make our cities more liveable and resilient to heat. Our beaches are a quintessential part of our identity as Australians. Ensuring that we can continue to enjoy these spaces is vital.

That is why restoring and protecting nature must go hand in hand with building homes and infrastructure for the future. That is the principle at the heart of these reforms. For far too many homes in Australia, it takes longer to get an approval than it takes to build. That captures one of the biggest challenges our nation faces. A system meant to balance growth and environmental protection has, instead, become a barrier to both. It is holding back housing supply, making it harder for Australians to own a home and slowing the renewable energy infrastructure needed for our future.

That is why the Albanese Labor government is reforming Australia's national environmental laws to make them stronger, fairer and more effective—because protecting our environment and building the homes Australians need are not competing priorities; they are connected goals. Healthy environments create healthy communities, and thriving communities need affordable, sustainable housing. Both depend on good planning, clear rules and a system that delivers outcomes rather than obstacles.

In August this year the government announced that it would fast-track 26,000 homes currently under environmental assessment. That builds on our ambitious $43 billion housing agenda—the most comprehensive housing plan in a generation. But, on its own, fast-tracking only treats the symptom. The measures in this bill tackle the underlying cause of delay while delivering greater protections for nature.

The reforms before the House are the most significant overhaul of our environmental laws in nearly 25 years, which were first introduced when I was five years old. It is time for reform. When the EPBC Act was first introduced in 1999 its aim was to protect matters of national environmental significance while supporting sustainable development. Over time the system became bogged down with complexity, duplication and delay. Assessments drag on for years, proponents face uncertainty and communities lose trust that environmental protections are enforced. In that vacuum, homes and habitats both suffer. That is why this government has gone back to first principles to build a system that protects nature while supporting reasonable growth.

These reforms rests on three pillars: firstly, stronger environmental protections and restoration not just to look after our special places but to regenerate them for future generations; secondly, more efficient and robust project assessments and approvals, enabling faster, better decisions on national priorities like renewable energy, manufacturing and housing; and, thirdly, greater accountability and transparency, delivering on our election commitment for a national environmental protection agency. Delivering on these pillars is critical to building the housing we need.

We have heard loud and clear from industry, communities and experts that the current system is not working. Assessments under the EPBC Act are unpredictable, take too long and create uncertainty across the economy. That is not good for builders, buyers, workers or investors and is not good for the environment. The slow and inconsistent system does not protect nature; it leaves projects proceeding without the strategic planning and restoration frameworks that these reforms will deliver.

These changes address the challenge head-on. By working cooperatively with states and territories while maintaining strong Commonwealth standards, by adopting landscape-scale approaches to environmental restoration and approvals, and by streamlining assessment pathways so that good projects move forward quicker and bad projects are stopped early, these changes together will create a system that is faster, fairer and more predictable without compromising environmental standards.

We reject the idea that we must choose between a strong environment and a strong economy. Our natural environment underpins our long-term prosperity. A well-designed regulatory system can and must deliver both. These bills are not a tug-of-war between protecting nature and addressing our housing shortage; they are about designing a system that does both, protecting our most precious natural assets while unlocking the homes and infrastructure Australians need.

The coalition have made it clear that they are not interested in how these reforms will help solve the housing shortage. In fact, they're not interested in housing at all. They checked out of housing for nine years in government. For most of that time they did not even have a housing minister. In opposition they have voted against new homes at every opportunity. Just this week the member for Wright said they didn't have a housing problem back when the coalition was in government, further proving how out of touch they are. The opposition have shown that they are only interested in saying 'no' to progress, to solutions, to responsibility and to each other. They have a choice this term: continue to play political games or work with us to tackle this generational challenge. Australians have seen through opposition for opposition's sake. The coalition should heed the message and work constructively with the government to reform Australia's environmental laws and help fix the housing crisis.

The same goes for the Greens. When it comes to housing, the Greens too often choose politics over progress. Australians are tired of slogans; they want solutions. The Greens should heed the same message as the coalition and work with the government to deliver these long overdue environmental reforms.

For our part, the Albanese Labor government has been clear and consistent. We are getting on the job of fixing a system that has failed for too long. We are rebuilding the foundations of a fair and sustainable housing market and restoring integrity and accountability to environmental decision-making. Communities should trust that projects meet the highest standards. Industry should know that if they do the right thing they will be treated fairly and efficiently. That is why establishing the National Environmental Protection Agency is so important. For too long, decisions have been clouded by uncertainty and mistrust. The new agency will provide independent oversight, ensure that standards are applied consistently and enforce the law when breaches occur. Australians deserve confidence that our environment is being protected and that our laws are being upheld. We are living in the era of unprecedented change. Climate change, biodiversity loss and population growth demand a more integrated approach that will help unlock the homes and communities that Australians need to thrive.

I want to acknowledge the people who have fought tirelessly to see these changes come to life. Back in 2018, more than 500 Labor branches voted for stronger national environmental laws. In my electorate, branch members are tireless in their environmental advocacy. I want to thank the rank-and-file branch members who have pushed for this legislation, the people who know that real reform starts in communities, not in Canberra. This is community led, ground-up policy. They recognise that our environment is not a political issue but a shared responsibility. I want to thank the environment minister, Senator the Hon. Murray Watt, for his tireless work on this reform. I also want to acknowledge the contribution to these reforms by the previous minister for environment, Minister Tanya Plibersek.

Our natural environment is one of the greatest gifts we can pass on. The next generation deserves to inherit clean rivers, thriving forests and protected coastlines. They also deserve to inherit cities and towns where they can afford to live, to raise a family and to build a life. We can do both, we must do both, and we will do both. As with nature, everything is connected, and this government believes that good policy is not choosing one priority over another but finding a way to advance both. That is what these reforms will do. We need to get this done. It's time to act, to deliver on what Australians put us here to do. Every day we delay is a day the environment is degrading further. Every day we delay is one that we could be building the renewable energy and the housing that we need for the future.

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