Environment

Environmental law reform is well overdue. We can agree on that. That view is very much shared by those on both sides of the House. So why is it that this Labor government is yet to get the balance right? We’ve said that from the beginning. We need to ensure that jobs and investment continue whilst minimising the impact on the environment—it’s important to note that investment is in decline in this country—so this reform is simply too important to get wrong. In its current form, and from the amount of draft legislation that we’ve seen, Labor’s environmental laws risk being nothing but a gift to our overseas competitors. It will be a blow to Australian industry, business and workers. That’s jobs, income, families and communities.

This also risks the government’s latest critical minerals deal with the US, and for what? To appease the green groups? To keep the door open for negotiations with the Greens? Or to appease the left faction of the Labor caucus? It seems like a contrast to Labor’s so-called productivity agenda because the proposed plan might please the far-left activists, but it seriously risks Australian jobs, projects and prosperity. Australia can protect the environment and still get things built right now. Labor’s laws will do neither because every added layer of bureaucracy makes it harder for projects to get off the ground. That makes it easier for investment and jobs to go offshore. Labor’s reckless decision to prioritise the interests of green groups over jobs and productivity puts reform on life support.

We suggested a genuine option to fast-track and streamline reforms right now. In the letter that the Leader of the Opposition and I penned to the Prime Minister, we proposed that the bill be split to prioritise and streamline approvals, because that’s what is urgent, while dealing with the contentious measures separately. The proposal that we put forward, which the government flat out rejected, will cut sovereign risk and restore business confidence, along with helping to unlock critical minerals and other major projects. The coalition supports genuine environmental reform. Splitting the bill means parliament can move immediately on these reforms. Again, we know they’re long overdue and we know that approvals are taking far, far too long. We must ensure jobs and growth without being held hostage by Labor’s more controversial proposals.

Despite what those on the other side of the House claim, the coalition supports genuine environmental reform. We strongly believe we need to care for the environment. The coalition’s record on the environment, particularly under the Leader of the Opposition’s leadership as environment minister, is one we are so very proud of. As the minister, she led the development of reforms to fix the approvals process. In 2022 the coalition announced a $1 billion Great Barrier Reef fund. Our $280 million Recycling Modernisation Fund drove a $1 billion transformation of the waste and recycling sector. We invested billions in threatened species, habitat restoration, marine conservation and environmental projects. And, under the Morrison government, Australia’s investment in renewable energy continued to break records. It was an investment that saw renewables ultimately make up almost one-third of our energy mix. We have a proud history of environmental conservation in our party, and they are just some of the many initiatives and investments made by the coalition. So, when we say the government is again rushing through complex, untested legislation, we have the credentials to back that up, going all the way back to Malcolm Fraser, who put protections on the Great Barrier Reef.

When industry backs up these claims, you know there are alarm bells ringing. This legislation will put billions and billions of dollars of investment and thousands of Australian jobs at risk. Instead of speeding up decisions, they’re creating a system that will stop projects dead in their tracks. We need certainty and we need balance—certainty for industry and jobs, and balance for the environment and protections. We simply cannot continue to operate with the legislation in its current form. I’ll continue to speak with the government to see where we can move amendments, where we can come to the middle or if Labor will split the bill. We cannot wrap industry up in additional red and green tape. We must protect our environment. There is a way forward.