CANBERRA, 30 OCTOBER 2025 — Greenpeace has warned that the revamped laws will fall far short if critical gaps in addressing deforestation, climate impacts and excessive Ministerial discretion are not fixed.
Environment Minister Murray Watt will today table Bills for a reformed national nature law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). Greenpeace has urged Parliament to work together to fix major gaps in the draft legislation, and ensure they pass an environmental protection law that actually protects nature.
David Ritter, CEO at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:
"The Albanese government was returned to power promising to fix Australia's broken nature laws and the Bills as they stand do not deliver on that promise.
"There is long-needed architecture in these Bills that, if significantly improved, could present major gains for nature—but right now, it falls well short of what is needed.
"We strongly support overhauling Australia's broken nature laws. But the Bills as tabled fail to address the two key drivers of extinction and the destruction of nature—deforestation and climate change.
"Stopping deforestation and getting real about the impact of climate damage on nature are the acid test.
"The level of discretion remaining with the Minister in applying the law, could also seriously undermine the effectiveness of any reforms, including a broad "national interest" exemption and approvals.
"Similarly, the proposal to cede key Commonwealth powers, such as overseeing the water trigger applying to coal and gas projects, to the states and territories is a bad move that should be rejected.
"Parliament must work together to fix these significant shortcomings in the Bills, to deliver an environmental protection law that actually protects nature.
