The Greens have negotiated significant wins to protect forests and stop Labor's fast-track for coal and gas; and with the EPBC now better than the status quo, will support the passage of the package through the Senate this week.
Labor's first draft was a wish list for corporate environmental destruction: it would have gutted Australia's environment laws, given corporations the green light for new coal and gas projects in as little as 30 days, and introduced new loopholes to an already weak Act.
While Labor had clearly hoped to pass a bill on behalf of big corporations, the Greens held firm during negotiations on protections for nature and the climate - boosted by community opposition to a bill that took us backwards.
Holding firm with community support, the Greens negotiated wins that include:
- Ending decades-long exemptions for forestry destruction in 18 months,
- Removing the ability for coal and gas projects to use fast-tracked approvals or the 'national interest loophole',
- Powers to stop illegal land clearing
- Saving the Water Trigger,
- Ensuring the Federal Minister can always step in to protect the environment
Despite significant wins for nature, the bill is still woefully short of what the climate needs - with Labor's refusal to take meaningful climate action showing that the coal and gas lobby still runs both major parties.
Labor has pointedly refused to support a climate trigger, despite majority public support and strong evidence in Inquiry, preventing the Environment Minister from considering climate damage when approving projects.
However, with three coal and gas fast-tracks removed, and the government clearly captured by corporations, this deal prevents fossil fuel giants from winding back these loopholes via agreement with the Coalition.
As stated by Sen. Larissa Waters, Leader of the Australian Greens:
"The Greens have won changes to better protect native forests, closed loop-holes for land clearing and stop Labor from fast-tracking coal and gas.
"Greens pressure made this bill better than the weak laws we have now, and infinitely better than if the government had done a deal with the climate deniers in the Coalition.
"This outcome was only possible because the Greens are in parliament. We've been able to hold off the worst of Labor's plans - we need more Greens in parliament to get better outcomes.
"Labor has again refused to take meaningful climate action.
"The Greens stopped Labor's fast-tracking of coal and gas, but their straight up refusal to add climate to these laws shows Labor puts coal and gas corporate profits ahead of the millions of people who want to protect the climate."
As stated by Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens Environment spokesperson:
"The community trusts the Greens to deliver real outcomes for nature, and today that is what we have done.
"Today, with hard work and negotiation we have secured new protections for our beautiful native forests and bushland that will protect our wildlife and biodiversity, and stopped fossil fuels being fast tracked.
"Labor started this process with a bill that was clearly written to get a deal with the Coalition. It was full of carve outs and loop holes that would have allowed big corporations to trash our environment.
"We said from the start that the Greens wouldn't accept a bill that would take nature backwards, and would fight to protect forests and the climate, and we've done just that.
"Now, this is an environmental protection bill that does what it says on the tin.
As stated by Sen. Nick McKim, Greens Forests spokesperson:
"This is the best we could do in negotiation with a Labor Party that couldn't care less about the environment, and cares more about corporate profits than protecting nature."
"Ending the RFA exemption is a spanner in the works of the native forest logging industry which has trashed our beautiful forests with impunity for far too long."
"We have ended an outrageous legal carveout for logging that's resulted in devastation for forests and threatened species habitats across the country."
"Forest campaigners have fought for decades to stop the special treatment for logging, but this is by no means the end of the fight to finally end native forest logging.
"There are now some extra tools to fight the forest industry and save our native forests. See you in the streets and on the blockades.
