TRANSCRIPT – ABC Perth Drive with Gary Adshead

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for the Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

ABC Perth Drive with Gary Adshead

20 October 2025

Subjects: Striking the right balance with upcoming environmental reform, Meeting with environmental and industry stakeholders in Western Australia, Barnaby Joyce.

E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………………

GARY ADSHEAD:

The Shadow Environment Minister, the, of course, opposition spokesperson on the environment and youth, for that matter, Angie Bell, also a member of the Queensland LNP, is in Perth to discuss with those interest groups around the federal government’s planned environmental protection laws and what they will look like come the end of the year when it’s understood Murray Watt, the Federal Environment Minister, will introduce the new laws into the federal parliament. Angie Bell joins us now. Thanks very much for your time.

ANGIE BELL:

Great to be with you, Gary, and your listeners this afternoon.

GARY ADSHEAD:

Sorry about the weather. You would have thought there’d be a bit of sun above your head, but there’s none today, I’m afraid. So, well, I just have to suck it up. Of course, the weather, the rain, we’re grateful for it. Angie, just looking at it, are you and Murray Watt, the Federal Minister, that far apart in terms of what the Federal Government around these environmental laws?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I’ve had multiple meetings with Murray Watt and we continue to engage in, as you would expect, robust discussion and enter into good faith negotiations when it comes to EPBC reform, because it’s just simply too important to get this wrong, Gary. And of course, Western Australians will understand that we need to strike a balance between industry and jobs and investment, certainly in the West, but in our country, but also protecting the environment. I’m in WA engaging with very important stakeholders across mining, resources, but also the environment to make sure that they have their voice heard through me as the Shadow Minister.

And I’m pleased that the Minister has ruled out a climate trigger as per the Coalition-commissioned Samuel Review recommendations. And he is talking quite a lot about the Samuel Review recommendations, which, of course, Sussan Ley commissioned when she was the Environment Minister. So whilst, you know, it’s sounding good, the devil will be in the detail, as it always is with this Labor Government in Canberra, but we will scrutinise that when it comes to the Parliament in the coming sitting weeks and make sure that there are no massive potholes for West Australians.

GARY ADSHEAD:

Because obviously a lot of the talk’s been around the need to cut times, particularly in relation to renewable projects, cut the time that it takes and the red tape that might be there or the green tape that might be there to get things up and running. But is there, do you have any sense that, you know, don’t forget, you know, the title is Environment Minister or Shadow Environment Minister. Are we certain the environment’s what’s being put first here while we try to change the environmental protection laws?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, certainly the Samuel Review outlined that our environment is degrading. It is going backwards. And all of the stakeholders, especially here in Western Australia and in the Pilbara region, want to make sure that environmental degradation is stopped and doesn’t go backwards. And so, you know, they’re not mutually exclusive. I think we can have, and this is what Minister Watt has also said, positive outcomes for the environment. That is greater protections for endangered species and for the Pilbara in particular, but also make sure industry is protected and jobs are protected from lack of investment moving forward.

GARY ADSHEAD:

And you think you can do both?

ANGIE BELL:

It’s a big part of the economy. Well, that’s the sweet spot. That’s what we’re continuing to consult about. I’ve met with the Minister, as I said, a number of times. He is consulting much more widely than Tanya Plibersek did in the last term and so we’re hoping to come to a position that we can pass these laws because, as the Samuel review outlined, they are well overdue. They haven’t been updated for 25 years. Labor failed to reform them in the last term. And so, we’re hoping that we can get some movement for all stakeholders and, most importantly, and rightly so, for the environment.

GARY ADSHEAD:

Just on one point, I believe that the Minister, Murray Watt, has said that he would retain that final decision-making process around developments, major developments, renewable or mine sites, et cetera. Do you support that?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, absolutely, under the Westminster system, the Minister should retain the powers because the Minister will consider the environment firstly but also the social and the economic impacts of any decision making as well. We want to see the ministerial powers remain with the Minister and we don’t want to see them taken away through an EPA. Obviously, the Prime Minister has promised an EPA at a federal level. So, if there is to be an EPA, we want to make sure that ministerial powers remain with the Minister.

GARY ADSHEAD:

Yeah, and of course, the other argument is, and I know that the WA Premier talks about it, the duplication that goes on between the State Environmental Authority and the Federal. It sounds like Murray is on the same page as trying to get rid of that duplication.

ANGIE BELL:

Well, certainly bilateral agreements are a big part of where we need to be in order to minimise the duplication across states, territories and the Commonwealth. And that’s why I’ll be talking with the Western Australian Government as well, about bilateral agreements and how that would work in practice to make sure that all of our stakeholders have a voice in this process.

GARY ADSHEAD:

I’m talking to the opposition’s spokesperson on the environment, Angie Bell. What about no-go zones? Murray Watt talking about, you know, being able to declare these no-go zones, which, you know, some people are wondering what exactly means, but what do you make of it?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, certainly my understanding is that there would be faster approvals based on go zones and no-go zones, which would be part of a regional planning process incorporated with local governments, state governments and the federal government. There are some concerns around farmers’ land rights, et cetera. We’ve seen in Victoria the degradation of land rights for farmers with some renewable rollouts that have been done disastrously in Victoria. And so, we’ll have a look at the devil, which will be in the detail, when it comes to the parliament and make sure that we’re standing up for also farmers’ rights.

GARY ADSHEAD:

So, you think, though, it’s important that the federal government go into this with some bipartisan support or a certain level of it to try and get the legislation through?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, this is too important to get wrong and we would prefer that the parties of government come together to a point. I can’t promise that we will agree right now until we see the legislation as it’s introduced and go over that with a fine-tooth comb and go through our usual party room processes. But certainly, we’d like to see longevity in these laws because clearly they are not fit for purpose any longer and they need to be reformed. And the Minister is talking about the Graeme Samuel Review recommendations, which Sussan Ley commissioned when she was the Minister, and many of those recommendations, if they’re put in place, will work very well.

GARY ADSHEAD:

Hey, before I let you go, it would be remiss of me not to ask the sort of story that everyone’s watching at the moment, and that’s in relation to Barnaby Joyce. Do you have conversations with Barnaby at all?

ANGIE BELL:

Occasionally. I have a long relationship with Barnaby. I’ve been in the Parliament for six years. He’s been there a lot longer than that, but I did sit next to Barnaby on the front bench in the last term. And so of course, I have a relationship with all of my colleagues. Look, I wish Barnaby well in any decision that he makes. They are his decisions to make at this point in time and we’ll see what the future brings.

GARY ADSHEAD:

Do you think he’d be a loss to the Nationals, though? Should he make that transition into One Nation, for example?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, certainly, we don’t want to lose Barnaby from the Coalition. I’m a strong Coalitionist, obviously. Coming from Queensland, as you mentioned in my introduction, Gary, the LNP. I believe that we are stronger together. But I do wish Barnaby all the best in any choices that he makes.

GARY ADSHEAD:

We’ll watch with interest. Now, are you getting up to the Pilbara or have you been there today, out of interest?

ANGIE BELL:

No, I haven’t been there today, but certainly have been talking with stakeholders across the portfolio.

GARY ADSHEAD:

Just making sure you watch out for space junk if you’re up that way because it’s falling from the sky as well right now. Hey, good on you. Thanks very much for talking to us, Angie.

ANGIE BELL:

My pleasure, Gary. Good afternoon, West Australia.

ENDS.