Overview
- Environment Minister Murray Watt says he has “no doubt” the EPBC reforms will pass this week, though no agreement has been reached with the Greens or the Coalition.
- Labor has offered to strip the proposed national‑interest mechanism from being used to approve coal and gas, with the Greens seeking tougher constraints on fossil‑fuel projects and climate impacts considered.
- A new concession would subject native forestry to National Environmental Standards after a three‑year transition, a timeline Greens senator Sarah Hanson‑Young says is unacceptable.
- The Coalition has tabled demands to dilute the proposed EPA’s powers, remove climate reporting for project proponents, and clarify the threshold for “unacceptable” environmental harm, arguing the bill is unworkable in its current form.
- Peak business groups including the Minerals Council and Business Council urge the Coalition to support the reforms to speed investment, even as a Senate inquiry into the 1,500‑page package continues toward a March 2026 report.