Nationwide reforms to streamline and speed up environmental assessments continue to roll out, with the Albanese Government, in partnership with the Crisafulli Government, commencing consultation on pilot bioregional guidance plans in two Queensland locations.
Bioregional guidance plans are a key tool available under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act), to identify areas of higher and lower environmental value in a specific region, to enable better and faster decisions about areas that should be protected or developed.
The pilots will provide biodiversity information and advice that industry and government can use to speed up project assessments and to avoid areas where approvals are likely to be more challenging. They will better protect sensitive environmental areas and provide certainty for industry by showing developers where and how to deliver projects with less environmental impact.
The pilot guidance plans focus on different development types, in different parts of Queensland:
- Brigalow Belt North – to support wind farm developments in the Collinsville area of the Brigalow Belt North bioregion in Northern Queensland
- Gulf Plains – to support minerals mining in the Julia Creek and Richmond area of the Gulf Plains bioregion in North-Western Queensland
Later in the year, the bioregional guidance plans will be formally made under the EPBC Act, after approval from the Crisafulli Government and the Albanese Government.
Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt said by following the guidance plans developers and industry would save time and money by providing more clarity on regulatory requirements.
"Bioregional planning is a key part of the Albanese Government's landmark environmental law reforms and these guidance plans, the first of their kind in Australia, are a big step towards powering productivity, while protecting our precious environment.
"The guidance plans will support stronger environmental protections, faster and simpler approval processes for business, and more transparency and integrity around decision making.
"They include improved information on nationally protected matters, strategic planning that has considered present and future threats in the region, and advice on how to manage impacts and opportunities to protect and restore nature.
"I encourage people to have their say to help shape how the guidance plans are formalised under national environment law, including whether they could be built on to create regulatory bioregional plans in the future."
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said the release of the draft bioregional plans for consultation was an important step in improving transparency around environmental considerations for proponents in North Queensland.
"These draft pilots are designed to help clearly map the environmental matters State and Federal Governments will consider when projects are proposed," Minister Powell said.
"They will give proponents better information upfront about environmental values and assessment considerations, helping to reduce uncertainty and support more informed project design.
"Queensland has strong environmental standards, and these first-of-their-kind draft plans are about making the approvals landscape clearer and easier to navigate while maintaining those protections.
"We want people to have their say on these draft plans and provide feedback on how they can best support practical environmental planning and better outcomes for the future."
Both plans will be open for public comment for the next six weeks. Consultation will include a mix of online and in-person public information sessions and workshops, as well as targeted one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders. You can also have your say by making a submission or completing an online survey.
