Overview

• At the National Press Club in Canberra, former Treasury chief Ken Henry described the EPBC Act as broken and urged parliament to pass a single-package reform
• Henry warned that without national environmental standards and a shift to regional planning, slow case-by-case approvals under the EPBC Act will stall Australia’s housing, infrastructure and net-zero ambitions
• He called for the establishment of an independent federal Environmental Protection Agency to enforce binding rules and expedite project assessments
• Henry said comprehensive reform could significantly cut government costs and lift Australia’s sluggish productivity growth, currently among the worst in the developed world
• Environment Minister Murray Watt continues negotiations with states, industry and community groups and aims to introduce the consolidated reform bill within this parliamentary term