Charlotte Walker (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australia needs environmental laws that actually protect our environment, and that's exactly what the Albanese government is delivering through our Environment Protection Reform Bill. This is a once-in-a-generation overhaul of the EPBC Act, finally building a system that protects nature, gives businesses certainty and gets things moving again after years of delay.

Our reforms are based on the independent Samuel review. Professor Graeme Samuel himself said that this bill captures the intent of his recommendation to stop the decline of Australia's environment and to start the repair. In fact, Professor Samuel gave a direct message to the Greens when he released his report. He said:

… here is an opportunity to have a major reform and it takes you a long way forward of the current position

That was five years ago. Since then, sadly, some of the Greens have done what they always do—block, delay and grandstand—instead of getting behind reforms that will actually make our system better. We should also remember that Professor Samuel's report was handed to the former environment minister Sussan Ley in 2020, and, for years, nothing happened. They chose to ignore advice that would have improved outcomes for the environment, for industry and for local communities.

Labor is turning that around. We're doing the hard work to fix the laws that the Liberals brushed aside and that some Greens prefer to posture over rather than improve. The Australian people sent a clear message at the last election. They are tired of inaction. Australians don't like it when the Senate blocks reform for self-promotion, and they really don't like when that obstruction endangers the environment. If we're going to roll out renewables and cut emissions, we need clear, fair laws that make it possible to build transmission lines, solar farms and battery projects without trashing our ecosystems. If we're serious about the energy transition, we need these laws. If we're serious about solving the housing crisis, we need these laws. If we're serious about protecting the environment, we definitely need these laws. So when the Greens stand in front of this reform, they are not helping the planet; they're holding it back.

Our reforms will finally create an environment system that protects what matters and makes it easier to do the right thing. They are built around three key pillars: stronger environmental protection and restoration; quicker, more consistent project approvals; and greater accountability and transparency in decision-making. We will establish Australia's first national environment protection agency, an independent body with the power to enforce the law, audit safe processes and ensure compliance. This will mean real accountability for environmental breaches and an end to the rubber-stamping we have seen in the past. We will also set national environmental standards that make crystal clear what is acceptable and what is not. They will protect important habitats, give businesses certainty and make sure decisions are consistent and fair. For the first time, we will define unacceptable impacts—areas of harm that simply cannot be approved, like the destruction of World Heritage sites, critical habitats or wetlands of international significance. These laws will also deliver net gain for the environment, meaning that, where impacts do occur, they must be fully offset and compensated for, improving on the current no-net-loss approach. We are increasing penalties for serious breaches, giving the courts stronger tools to respond to those who flout the rules.

While the Greens are busy chasing retweets about protecting the Tarkine, Labor is establishing the legal framework that will actually protect it. We are introducing new emissions disclosure requirements for major projects. We are ensuring restoration contributions go straight back into rehabilitating land and ecosystems. We are doing all this while keeping Australia's economy strong. Environmental groups want these reforms. Industry wants them. Australians want them. The only people standing in the way are the ones more interested in political stunts than actually achieving anything. Our unique environment is precious. It's what makes this country special. We owe it to future generations to protect it. I appeal to senators here who care about the future and our environment to remember how destructive blocking these reforms actually is and to join us in delivering the biggest step forward in environmental protection in a generation.