Environment minister Murray Watt launches ‘reform train’ with fresh talks on broken laws

Murray Watt has told everyone with an interest in overhauling approvals rules for the benefit of business and the environment to get on board the “reform train.”

The Environment Minister will bring about 20 stakeholder groups together on Thursday in Canberra to kick off consultation on revamping the 25-year-old Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

He has previously flagged he’ll draw on the work his predecessor Tanya Plibersek did on the “Nature Positive” version of reforms, which were shelved after failing to find support in Parliament.

But he isn’t wedded to any particular elements.

Thursday’s talks with environmental, mining, business, energy, residential construction, agriculture and Indigenous peak bodies will be high-level rather than looking at concrete proposals.

“To be honest, I think just getting these people in a room together is actually a positive step in itself, rather than everyone being in their corners throwing pot shots,” Senator Watt told The West, noting it had been more than a year since they’d all been in the same place.

From his preliminary talks with stakeholders, he believed all were prepared to find compromises in recognition that environmental law reform was overdue and crucial.

“I’m going to be making clear at this meeting that the reform train is leaving the station. It is going to happen. As a government, we know broadly where we want to end up, but we haven’t settled yet the exact destination for that train,” he said.

“All of these stakeholders have now got an opportunity to be on the train shaping the destination, or they can choose to remain on the platform, shouting from the sidelines.”

Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson was encouraged by the new minister’s rhetoric and his commitment to “robust and transparent consultation” with a broad range of stakeholders.

“It has also been encouraging to hear Minister Watt reference recommendations contained in the Samuels Review as providing the framework for the reforms,” she said.

“Removing unnecessary duplication is one of the most effective ways to accelerate project approvals without compromising on the rigour of assessments.”

Minerals Council of Australia head Tania Constable said “practical changes” to the EPBC laws were urgently needed and her group was “committed to working constructively with the Albanese Government to ensure these reforms deliver genuine progress”.

Bran Black, who leads the Business Council of Australia, also pledged to work constructively, saying it was clear to everyone the status quo wasn’t working.

“It’s critical we speed up approvals, so we can build more homes and deliver much needed critical minerals projects,” he said.

Australian Conservation Foundation boss Kelly O’Shannessy said “the clock is ticking” on overhauling the broken laws for everyone’s benefit.

“If you have clear national environmental standards that essentially set the rules around nature protection, businesses can then apply those as they’re making decisions and assessments, and so can state governments. It makes the whole thing much more efficient,” she said.