28 Nov | '2025

Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 – Consideration of Senate Message

Frankenstein’s monster is the new creation of Labor and the Greens’ dirty deal in the dead of night on the EPBC Act. The Prime Minister and his Mr Fixer, the senator from the great resources state Queensland, Murray Watt, has appeased the left flank of Labor’s backbench and caved in to allow a new environmental protection agency with excessive powers and too little oversight. Their new Frankenstein CEO will have the power to mark its own homework and to create its own rules.

25 Nov | '2025

Environment

The Coalition has engaged in good faith with the government to secure environmental law reform—reform that will deliver for the environment and for jobs, industry and investment—in our great nation because Australians deserve environmental laws that are productive, practical and durable. But the legislation in its current form, despite the lofty rhetoric of those opposite, falls well short of delivering the certainty, the balance and the productivity that our nation needs.

25 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – FIVEAA BREAKFAST

WILL GOODINGS:
The Bureau website, and we’ve thus far found one person who thinks it’s good. That’s just a user interface review. The serious side of this is things like Port Pirie, where a destructive storm swept through and nobody saw it coming. The Bureau didn’t see it coming. The Mayor in Port Pirie has been scathing of the Bureau. The Premier too I thought was pretty forthright in his commentary about how disappointing it was that this wasn’t picked up. With all this money being expended at the Weather Bureau, should we be expecting better? The Federal Shadow Environment Minister, Angie Bell, joins us on FIVEAA Breakfast.

25 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – JOINT DOORSTOP, PARLIAMENT HOUSE

ANGIE BELL:
Well, good morning to everyone here this morning in Canberra. We have exactly three sitting days left in the parliamentary year, and we have not seen any amendments put forward by the Labor Albanese Government or Minister Watt at this point in time when it comes to EPBC reform. The Minister has been out in the press saying that he wants to do a deal this week. It is entirely and utterly unreasonable that at this point in time, we have not seen any of the substantive changes put forward that we would like to see in the EPBC Act, if it is to be passed this week. I’ll say to the Minister, the ball is firmly in your court.

24 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – 4BC Mornings with Ben Davis

BEN DAVIS:
Now, before you glaze over, it affects every single one of us because it has a real impact on development and houses being built and the approvals for those houses, homes, high-rises, whatever it may be. It helps relieve the supply issue. It cuts the red tape, the green tape, if you like. It reduces duplication. It increases certainty for those who want to build and develop. There’s a new threshold test for approval. There’s the process for reconsidering decisions that have been made clearer. This is all on the table. There’s also the scope for a new Environmental Protection Agency.

24 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – ABC Radio Brisbane

KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE:
Senator Watt’s also been holding talks with the Coalition’s Environment Spokesperson, Angie Bell who joins us now. Good morning.
ANGIE BELL:
Good morning. Kelly Higgins-Devine. What a great name. I just want to say that on air.
KELLY HIGGINS-DEVINE:
Thank you so much. Okay, so with this legislation, we’ve heard that the Greens have been offered a concession. Have you been offered one or any of the items you would like to see change in this legislation?

24 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – Sky News Regional Breakfast with Nikolina Kharoufeh

NIKOLINA KHAROUFEH:
Murray Watt has offered two major compromises to secure support to pass Labor’s green laws reforms in the final sitting week of the year. In a bid to the Coalition, he has signaled at reducing heavy penalties for businesses which violate the new environment laws. He also made an offer to the Greens proposing amended legislation to impose more stringent protections on native forest logging. The federal government is hoping to pass the laws through the upper house. Liberal Senator Jane Hume says the move from Watt is a good start but hopes the Labor Party can make a deal with the Coalition.

24 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – ABC NEWS BREAKFAST

JAMES GLENDAY:
We want to take you to Canberra, where the Albanese government is looking to get its overhaul of the nation’s environmental laws through Parliament in the final sitting week of the year. The Shadow Environment Minister, Angie Bell, joins us now live. Angie, welcome back to the show.
ANGIE BELL:
Thanks, James.
JAMES GLENDAY:
So, what are the prospects of a deal here, do you think? Business has been pretty clear. They want you and the government to work together to get this done as soon as possible.

24 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – ABC RADIO NATIONAL BREAKFAST

SALLY SARA:
Well, staying with the government’s push to overhaul federal environment laws this week, Angie Bell is the Shadow Minister for the Environment and joins me now in our Parliament House studio. Angie Bell, welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.
ANGIE BELL:
What a pleasure it is to be in the hot seat.
SALLY SARA:
It is. Musical chairs this morning. Do you feel the same urgency to reform Australia’s environment laws as the Environment Minister Murray Watt?

24 Nov | '2025

TRANSCRIPT – 2CC Breakfast with Stephen Cenatiempo

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:
Well, it is the last sitting week of the year for the Federal Parliament. The circus is back in town and to talk to us about that amongst other things is the Shadow Minister for the Environment and Shadow Minister for Youth, Angie Bell. Angie, good morning.
ANGIE BELL:
Good morning, Stephen. Great to be with you.