{"id":30080,"date":"2025-11-28T05:19:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T10:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=30080"},"modified":"2025-11-28T05:19:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T10:19:51","slug":"australian-environment-laws-set-for-biggest-overhaul-in-decades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2025\/11\/28\/australian-environment-laws-set-for-biggest-overhaul-in-decades\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian environment laws set for biggest overhaul in decades"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

Australia is set to to overhaul its decades-old nature laws with a raft of major reforms including the country’s first independent environment regulator.<\/b><\/p>\n

After a years-long deadlock, the Labor government struck a last-minute deal with the minority Greens party to get the laws passed, after talks with the opposition stalled.<\/p>\n

The changes include more protections for native forests, stricter rules for land clearing and a limit on fast-tracking of coal and gas projects but critics say more is needed.<\/p>\n

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the laws were a win for nature and business and would speed up major projects linked to housing, renewable energy and critical minerals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

With support from the Greens, Labor’s proposed changes are expected to pass through the Senate on Thursday, the last sitting day for parliament this year.<\/p>\n

For months, the opposition – a coalition of the Liberals and Nationals – had also been negotiating with the government on the bill, with a focus on gaining more concessions for businesses.<\/p>\n

Liberals leader Sussan Ley labelled the Labor-Greens deal as “dirty” and said it would lead to job losses in forestry.<\/p>\n

The latest development comes five years after an independent review into Australia’s nature laws found they were no longer fit for purpose.<\/p>\n

The government said the reforms would protect the environment for future generations and speed up projects in “key areas of national priority like housing, renewable energy and critical minerals”.<\/p>\n

“Everyone agrees that the laws as they stand are broken and need to be reformed,” Albanese said.<\/p>\n

“Getting these laws passed is vital to protect our environment and to boost productivity in our economy.”<\/p>\n

Once passed, the new laws will also establish Australia’s first-ever national environment protection agency as well as a set of national standards which would include rules on protecting endangered wildlife.<\/p>\n

It will also remove exemptions for “high-risk land clearing” and bring regional forest agreements under federal laws, instead of state ones.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n