Overview
- The government offered to bring native forestry under new National Environmental Standards after a three-year transition, with the environment minister able to end current exemptions if standards are not met.
- Labor also proposed removing or tightly limiting a 'national-interest' pathway so it cannot be used to approve coal and gas projects.
- The Greens welcomed movement on forests but rejected a three-year delay, calling for Regional Forestry Agreements to lose their federal law exemption immediately and seeking stronger limits on fossil fuels.
- The Coalition said it cannot support the package as drafted and is pushing to curb the proposed EPA’s powers and drop climate reporting obligations for project proponents.
- Environment Minister Murray Watt vowed to pass the reforms this week with whichever party agrees, stepped up pressure with a media event in the Greens-held seat of Ryan, and faced calls from Senator David Pocock for significant changes including excluding fossil fuels from any fast-track.