Ellie Whiteaker (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on this motion. Australia does need environment laws that protect our environment, and that is exactly what this Labor government is seeking to provide. Senators in this chamber have an opportunity in the coming weeks to make the right decision when our new Environment Protection Reform Bill comes before us. I remind my colleagues around the chamber that Australians voted for real action on climate change. Australians voted for a future made in Australia. Australians voted for more affordable housing. All of these things rely on us passing the environment bill when it comes before this place.

Our environment laws are broken. We seek to make them stronger so we can protect and restore the environment. We seek to make them more efficient so businesses and communities can have more certainty and get decisions made faster. The Environment Protection Reform Bill will deliver modern, fit-for-purpose national environment laws that are well overdue and that will deliver big gains for the environment and, yes, for business too.

The bill is centred on three key pillars: stronger environmental protection and restoration, quicker and more robust project approvals and greater accountability and transparency in decision-making. The bill delivers on the recommendations of the Samuel review, which was tabled some five years ago. These reforms are well overdue, and it is time that we pass them. Labor has been working to deliver on the recommendations of the Samuel review. These reforms will allow the environment minister to make new environmental standards—standards that will protect the environment, set out clear rules and help decision-makers be fair and consistent.

We aim to protect and restore important environmental areas and species to truly make up for environmental damage and deliver a net gain for the environment. Our proposal, importantly, includes a new definition of an unacceptable impact. This will set clear and upfront criteria for impacts that cannot and will not be approved. It will increase transparency, consistency and certainty of decisions and provide a safeguard against impacts that cause the irreversible loss of Australia's biodiversity and heritage. Our proposed reforms clearly define what type of environmental harm must be avoided and cannot be offset. Projects will be required by law, importantly, not just to avoid and mitigate but to repair damage to protected matters where possible. Any residual impacts must be fully offset and achieve a net gain for the environment. This is a significant improvement on the existing policy of no net loss. Our reforms seek to increase the penalties for the most serious and significant breaches of the law, allowing courts to respond proportionately to the most egregious of breaches.

Our proposed reforms seek to establish our nation's first-ever independent National Environmental Protection Agency, a strong and independent regulator with a clear focus, ensuring better compliance with and stronger enforcement of these environmental laws. A national EPA is well overdue.

Very shortly, we will have an opportunity to vote for a bill that does more to protect our environment and to set a new standard, and I hope the Greens get on board instead of doing what they usually do and standing in the way of progress. I think Australians made it pretty clear at the election that they don't like it when the Greens stand in the way of good, progressive policy. I'm sure the Greens don't need reminding of what that meant for them, following the ballot box in May. Australians don't want the Greens to be blockers; they want us, as parliamentarians, as leaders, to be doers. We must take action to protect our environment and to keep our economy strong. Our bill gets the balance right, and I urge senators here in the coming weeks to make that decision.