Albanese expected for stand-off with Chinese over Port of Darwin lease
Beijing is threatening economic retaliation if the Albanese government follows through on its plan, setting up a potential stand-off ahead of the meeting.
The US has intervened in Mr Albanese's visit by demanding to know what role, if any, Australia would play should the US and China come to conflict over Taiwan.
The Chinese are expected to raise objections to Labor's promise of bringing the Port of Darwin back into Australia's hands.
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News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Environmental reform could slash government spending, lift productivity: expert
Urgent reform of Australia's 'broken' environmental laws would dramatically cut government costs and lift productivity growth, a leading environment expert claims. The Albanese government has faced continued pressure over Australia's sluggish productivity growth, which is among the worst in the developed world. Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation chair Ken Henry said sweeping environmental reform could be the solution. The former Treasury secretary will tell the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday there is 'no chance' the Labor government will meet its net-zero target while also delivering upon housing and infrastructure commitments without reform to state and federal environmental protection laws. 'The Australian government has an ambition to massively increase critical minerals exports and downstream processing here in Australia,' Dr Henry is expected to state. 'This means more mines, new industrial facilities, and more pressure being loaded onto broken EPBC project assessment and approval processes.' The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, or EPBC, is Australia's main national environmental legislation. Dr Henry said the government's pledge to erect 1.2 million homes by 2030 would require more land and transport, meaning more interaction with EPBC assessments. 'These projects, be they wind farms, solar farms, transmission lines, new housing developments, land-based carbon sequestration projects, new and enhanced transport corridors or critical minerals extraction and processing plants, must be delivered quickly and efficiently,' Dr Henry will tell the NPC. 'All these projects will be critical to enhancing economic resilience and lifting flagging productivity growth. 'Boosting productivity and resilience relies upon environmental law reform. 'But the biggest threat to future productivity growth comes from nature itself; more particularly, from its destruction.' Dr Henry will urge for a breaking of the 'deadlock' to deliver sweeping reforms in a single package. They would include protecting Matters of National Environmental Significance guidelines by shifting the focus to regional planning, urgent finalisation of the effective national environmental standards, and formation of a national environmental protection agency. He will also urge for 'genuine co-operation and a shared purpose' between business and environmental groups as well as between the states and federal government. 'Environmental law reform provides an opportunity to reconstruct the co-operative federal reform capability we developed in the 1990s but have since lost,' Dr Henry will state. 'A strong federal reform capability will be required to deliver other, even more challenging economic reforms. Environmental law reform can provide the template.' Dr Henry said there was 'no point in building a faster highway to hell', and while approvals needed to be granted faster, the environment needed to be protected. 'In reforming the EPBC Act, we can get this right. We have had all the reviews we need,' he will say. 'All of us have had our say. It is now up to parliament. Let's just get this done.' The Labor government is contending with a raft of proposals to fix productivity, from superannuation reform to artificial intelligence and disability inclusion. At the same time, Environment Minister Murray Watt said in May that legislating a federal environment protection agency was a 'very high and immediate' priority.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
If Albanese can't pass this test, ‘we should stop dreaming': former Treasury boss
Anthony Albanese's plan to build 1.2 million homes, improve the nation's transport system and lift Australians' living standards will fail if the government cannot fix broken nature laws and arrest the decline of the environment, former Treasury boss Ken Henry warns. In a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, Henry will argue that despite pressure on fast-track important developments, the country also needs a resilient and rich natural environment. Without that, Australia will be just 'building a faster highway to hell'. Henry, who served as Treasury secretary under John Howard and Kevin Rudd, will argue there is 'no chance' the government will reach its many key policy goals without fixing the broken project approval system in the federal Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act and also state environmental laws. 'If we can't achieve environmental law reform, then we should stop dreaming about more challenging options,' he will tell the press club. 'Boosting productivity and resilience relies upon environmental law reform.' The 2020 Samuel Review found the EPBC Act, established by the Howard government in 2000, was failing. The regime overlays state nature laws to protect matters of national environmental significance, like threatened species or rare habitats. Loading Since colonisation, about 100 of Australia's unique flora and fauna species have become extinct. The rate of loss, which is as bad as anywhere else on Earth, shows no sign of slowing, with more than 2000 species listed as threatened with extinction and ongoing habitat degradation. The Albanese government promised in 2022 to bolster the EPBC Act with the creation of an Environment Protection Agency (EPA). A federal watchdog, the agency would police compliance of big projects that affect the environment, such as mines and tourism resorts, handing out fines for breaches.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
First look at new face of Sydney's homes
The new face of Sydney's terraces and townhouses has been revealed as the state government opens up its design book for would-be home builders for just $1. The NSW Labor government's New Housing Pattern Book will launch on Wednesday morning with eight terrace, townhouse, and manor house designs. Aimed at families, couples, and downsizers, the designs have been endorsed by the Government Architect following a 2024 design competition. For the first six months, the designs will be available for $1 each before rising to $1000, much less than the typical $20,000 price-tag for an architecturally-designed home. The NSW government has released its Housing Pattern Book, including designs by Anthony Gill. Supplied Credit: NewsWire Premier Chris Minns said the government's Pattern Book was intended to give home buyers 'more choice, faster approvals, and affordable, high-quality homes. 'Whether you're a young person trying to get in, a family needing more space, or a downsizers looking to stay close to the community you know,' he said. 'This is a practical step to make the housing system fairer – and make sure NSW remains a place where the next generation can afford to live and thrive.' Planning Minister Paul Scully said the government was accelerating the designs, which he described as being 'simple and cost-effective'. 'The NSW Housing Pattern Book takes the guesswork and the delay out of home-building,' he said. The designs contained in the book are intended to be adaptable. Design: Sam Crawford. Credit: NewsWire 'These designs are high-quality, easy to build, and for the first six months, they'll cost $1. 'These designs offer choice, with less complexity, making it easier to build homes in NSW.' Housing remains the single biggest cost of living pressure in NSW, with the Productivity Commission finding Sydney was losing twice as many young people as it gained. The designs contained in the book are intended to be adaptable to different family sizes and housing needs, including different room formations and layouts. Each design will also be accompanied by a complimentary Landscape Pattern to help new homeowners design their own garden that 'suits the climate'. A new approval pathway will also be implemented to fast-track building of the design-book homes, which will be subject to an advertising campaign. Each design will also be accompanied by a Landscape Pattern. Design: Sam Crawford. Credit: NewsWire Bunnings CEO Michael Howard said the design book would provide much needed to support to the construction sector in NSW and boost supply. 'Bunnings is ready to help builders, developers and homeowners bring these architect-designed homes to life,' Mr Howard said. The design book comes as the Minns' government continues to face pressure over housing following the failure of the Rosehill Racecourse sale. The project would have seen 25,000 new homes and a Metro station erected on the site, but was shot down by members of the Australian Turf Club. Mr Minns is yet to formally unveil the state government's 'Plan B' following the failed sale, with a focus on new housing developments located close to the CBD. As part of the state budget, the government announced it would go guarantor for developers which follows the NSW Low and Mid-Rise Housing.
