The Government Will Let Projects Bypass Environment Laws, Because That Seems Like A Good Thing
“Without robust standards to protect nature, fast-tracked approvals will fast track extinction."
The Federal Government has announced that it will remove the need for some development projects to meet the approval of environmental laws, stating that the upcoming budget will see $62.3 million spent on speeding up the development works in 10 key regional areas.
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley gave a joint statement with Federal Resources Minister Keith Pitt on Monday night, saying that the change will deliver “much needed environmental reform that reduces unnecessary delay and duplication, while strengthening safeguards”.
While the location of the 10 new regional plans has not yet been revealed, Pitt has already stated that the developments which could bypass Federal environmental projects could include new mining projects.
“The 10 new regional plans will streamline development approvals, including those for crucial resources projects, by removing the need for a project-by-project approval under national environment law,” Pitt said in the statement.
The Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) currently forces government projects that significantly impact the environment to be assessed by Federal authorities.
An independent review of the EPBC was conducted last year, by the former competition watchdog head Graeme Samuel. The review found that the act was failing to protect the environment, and recommended legislating “National Environmental Standards” granting the government greater powers to protect key areas such as ecosystems, biodiversity and habitats.
The new system proposed this week originates from a recommendation from Samuel’s review, to create “single-touch laws” that allow the government to speed up development projects. Both NSW and QLD state governments originally blocked a bill implementing this recommendation last year, out of fears that it was not accompanied by enough protections for the environment.
A spokesperson from the Australian Conservation Foundation said that they were concerned the new powers made it “easier” for resource extraction industries to operate.
“Now would be a reckless time to make changes that could result in more threatened species habitat being destroyed for commercial projects.” a spokesperson from the ACF said. “Without robust standards to protect nature, fast-tracked approvals will fast track extinction.”