Clean energy, environment unity ticket on nature laws
The unprecedented alliance between the Clean Energy Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, Australian Marine Conservation Society and others is bound by the shared belief that existing environmental protections are failing both biodiversity and the energy transition.
"We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-shape the law to tackle Australia's climate and nature crises," Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said.
The federal laws designed to kick in when renewable energy, mines and development threaten vulnerable species and other "matters of national environmental significance" are widely considered ineffective and in need of overhaul.
The federal government has promised reform but failed to complete the task in its first three-year term.
In the meantime, existing regulations have failed to stop projects destroying critical habitat at the same time as cumbersome environmental assessments have delayed the clean energy rollout.
Clean Energy Investor Group chief executive Richie Merzian said the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was the number one concern for renewable energy investors and developers.
Projects were taking nearly twice as long to secure approval and the assessment backlog was growing, Mr Merzian told AAP.
"We want to see faster yeses and faster nos," he said.
The alliance, which also includes the Electrical Trades Union, Re-Alliance, WWF Australia and Biodiversity Council, agree on key pieces of environmental reform including legally-enforceable standards to prevent subjective ministerial decision-making.
Setting up an independent "cop on the beat" Environmental Protection Agency was also backed by the coalition, as well as more resources for departments to keep projects moving through the process.
Better planning should further help solar and wind developers identify "regions we should and shouldn't be working in".
Mr Merzian said the "nature versus climate" narrative was false.
"We can and should be doing both," he said.
Electrical Trades Union national secretary Michael Wright said delayed environmental assessments were making it hard to train workers for future jobs.
"The uncertainty of the assessment process means there is no reliable pipeline of work for communities or to train apprentices on anywhere close to the scale we need," he said.
New environment minister Murray Watt has already indicated that legislating a federal environment watchdog will be one of the top priorities for the returned government.
It's not been the only pressing matter competing for his attention, with the minister opting to greenlight Woodside's proposal to extend its North West Shelf project in Western Australia after years of delays.
The expansion has been granted commonwealth go-ahead despite concerns about its emissions burden and impact on sacred rock art.
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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Nationals net-zero pushback intensifies, Littleproud open to dropping policy
Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities. The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals. The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath. However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero. "I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday. "I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that." The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects. In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities". Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it. Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target. "But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said. New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid. The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan. A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia. Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing". While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious". "You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said. While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do." "Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said. "Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better. "It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start. "Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way." Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies. "We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said. "And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?" Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities. The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals. The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath. However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero. "I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday. "I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that." The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects. In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities". Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it. Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target. "But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said. New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid. The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan. A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia. Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing". While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious". "You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said. While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do." "Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said. "Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better. "It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start. "Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way." Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies. "We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said. "And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?" Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities. The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals. The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath. However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero. "I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday. "I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that." The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects. In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities". Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it. Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target. "But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said. New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid. The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan. A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia. Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing". While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious". "You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said. While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do." "Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said. "Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better. "It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start. "Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way." Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies. "We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said. "And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?" Nationals leader David Littleproud has revealed he is "definitely" willing to flip the party's support for a 2050 net-zero emissions target while the renewable rollout is "tearing families apart" across regional communities. The revelation follows former Nationals leader Michael McCormack lending his support to a private members' bill being proposed by another former party leader in Barnaby Joyce to repeal legislation mandating greenhouse gas reduction goals. The tinderbox situation may see a new chapter in the nation's climate wars written as both Coalition partners continue to separately review their emissions and energy policies following the May 3 election bloodbath. However, Mr Littleproud stressed the party position adopted during the Morrison government was no longer set in stone prior to receiving the research being put together by Queensland senator Matt Canavan, a coal mining advocate who has steadfastly opposed net-zero. "I'm open ... I wanted to make sure we do this calmly and methodically, and understanding the human toll, the economic toll and the social toll this is having on our communities," Mr Littleproud said on Wednesday. "I think net zero unfortunately, has become something about trying to achieve the impossible rather than actually doing what's sensible, and we're bearing the burden of that." The comments follow news that the Clean Energy Council has thrown down the gauntlet to its 1000-odd member organisations in declaring that the industry must "redouble" its attempts to win community support and social license from regional Australians being asked to host large-scale wind and solar renewable projects. In a four-page letter sent to members, the peak lobby group's 10-member board said the rollout of the energy transition across the regions had so far produced "a mixed reaction from those communities". Meanwhile, it is unknown how the Coalition Agreement could work, or even survive, given there was already a week-long split after the election, should the Nationals drop net zero and a Liberal Party, desperately needing to win back inner-city seats to reform government, voted to retain it. Mr Joyce further stirred the pot in revealing that he "did not vote for net zero" in any previous party room vote, while Mr McCormack said he only backed the policy in 2021 to allay producer fears that Australia might be hit with international trade barriers if it did not adopt the target. "But the world has changed," the Riverina MP said. New Liberal leader Sussan Ley has not put a timeframe on when her party room would finalise its emission reductions and net-zero position, but provided some pointers to its substance in saying the nation should "play its part" in reducing emissions while needing to ensure a reliable and stable domestic energy grid. The policy will be significantly informed by an energy working group being led by opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan. A Peter Dutton-led Coalition went to the May 3 election advocating for an energy sector transition underpinned by the rollout of up to seven nuclear power plants across Australia. Mr Tehan recently told ACM that the Coalition intends to "look at all aspects" of the terrain before bedding down a net-zero by 2050 policy, from weighing up its assessment of the economy-wide impacts of Labor's renewable rollout to "the cost of doing nothing". While Mr Joyce's proposed "Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025" does not have a chance of succeeding given Labor's majority and presumed opposition from the Greens and crossbench, the New England MP said people in the regions were "furious". "You get to understand the sort of fury that (people) have in regional areas," he said. While Mr Tehan likened Mr Joyce and Mr McCormack, who also placed a question mark over Mr Littleproud's leadership, to "two steers in a paddock", Nationals senator for NSW Ross Cadell told the ABC that his colleagues were "espousing the views of their electorates, which people come (to parliament) to do." "Michael is really concerned by the number of wind towers and the things around Yass that are going up, and how that affects his farmers," he said. "Barnaby is the same ... one thing we do know, and I agree with them very much on, is (the rollout) can be done better. "It is really hurting regional communities. When you see acres and acres of roofs without solar panels in the cities, we should be doing more there and having less effect on the regions for a start. "Social license has to happen. It is not happening and you are seeing increasingly these communities rise up because it is not being done the right way." Meanwhile, Liberal senator Jane Hume told media on Wednesday that "over and over" the electorate has indicated that it wants emission reduction policies. "We need to be able to take the politics out of the issue," she said. "And say, how do we get to a net-zero energy future, and reduce emissions, but at the same time maintain our prosperity?"
AU Financial Review
3 days ago
- AU Financial Review
Why Ken Henry's plan could finally fix our broken environmental system
Ken Henry has injected a refreshing economic element into the now long-overdue reform of Australia's environment laws. He has embraced, with a compelling economic imperative, the recommendations contained in the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which was handed to then-environment minister Sussan Ley in October 2020.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- The Advertiser
Every month we waste has a cost. The time is now to protect what is uniquely Australian
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will soon mark the first 100 days of his renewed mandate. The first hundred days of any government offer a glimpse of what the next three years may hold. They signal what matters. The Prime Minister personally committed to creating strong, new nature laws early in his term - a moment of hope. Australians want to protect the nature and wildlife that make our country special - animals like the platypus that have to be seen to be believed, and places like the Great Barrier Reef that exist nowhere else on earth. So many of us, including the prime minister, grew up with nature. We owe it to our kids to make sure they can see a koala in the wild or swim among coral reefs. Seven in 10 Australians say the federal government must do more to protect and restore nature; 86 per cent back stronger federal nature laws; and 96 per cent fear further extinctions without urgent reform. Labor has the authority - and responsibility - to act. With a strong majority and a fresh mandate, the government can deliver what voters have long called for: credible laws that actually protect nature. After 25 years in operation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) has failed to stem broad-scale deforestation or halt wildlife decline. Many species are now in even greater danger. Stronger protections would prove Labor's climate-and-nature promise is real. Graeme Samuel's independent review of the EPBC Act has already supplied the blueprint: binding National Environmental Standards; an independent, well-resourced regulator to enforce them without fear or favour, and up-to-date environmental data to support clearer, faster decisions. It's time to close loopholes that allow native forest logging and broadscale land clearing - and to bring climate squarely into our nature laws. Time matters. In the 25 years of our existing laws, a staggering 7.7 million hectares of threatened species habitat have been destroyed - that's the size of Tasmania. In the five years since the Samuel Review, koalas have been declared endangered in NSW. In the past year, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef have bleached, and South Australia's marine life is dying from climate-fuelled ocean heatwaves. Drafting instructions are on the shelf. The election is behind us. The parliamentary setting is favourable. Political will is what remains. Passing the full Nature Laws package would give communities confidence that unique ecosystems aren't bargaining chips. Clear, modern rules would also give businesses certainty. Every month of drift has a cost: more habitat lost, more projects stalled, more investment on hold. Delay is expensive. MORE OPINION: But decisive reform pays off. Strong, consistent standards reduce duplication, shorten approval times for projects that meet the bar, and give communities confidence that fragile ecosystems are protected. Our three organisations-the Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific and WWF-Australia- know the country is ready for effective and enforceable nature laws. Together, we represent millions of Australians who want this continent's unique wildlife to thrive alongside a regenerative economy. The choice is clear, the opportunity is real, and the reward belongs to every Australian who values living landscapes and a safe climate. The window to deliver is still open. Miss it, and we inherit a legacy of stalled progress and rising extinctions. Seize it, and we unlock investment, protect nature, and set Australia on a path to a thriving, low-carbon future. The blueprint is ready. The public is watching. The cost of inaction grows daily. Pass the laws. Set the standards. Let this hundred-day mark stand for progress, not pause.
