Reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) are moving quickly, with the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and six adjoining Bills now under an accelerated Senate Committee process.
While the timeframe is tight, producers can still review and comment on the key components that will directly affect agriculture, including the draft Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) Standards, the Offset Standards, and the emerging Queensland Bioregional Planning Framework.
These reforms will determine:
- what triggers federal environmental assessment
- how offsets must be managed and delivered
- how Queensland landscapes are categorised, zoned and planned
Queensland's Bioregional Planning will be especially influential for landholders, shaping what activities are allowed and how environmental values are defined. It's critical that producer perspectives are recognised early.
We urge our members to review the documents, understand the implications, and provide feedback while submissions remain open.
🔗 Federal Materials & Inquiry Details (closes 5 December or earlier): https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/EPRBill48P
🔗 Queensland Bioregional Planning Submissions (closes 1 December): https://intheloop.des.qld.gov.au/queensland-bioregional-planning
🔗 Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) Standards and Environmental Offsetts (closes 30 January): https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/natl-environmental-standards-mnes
🔗 AgForce's Submission to the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/EPRBill48P/Submissions
AgForce will continue to push for balanced, workable reform that respects both environmental outcomes and agricultural viability, and we will unapologetically advocate for Queensland producers to ensure these reforms deliver certainty, practicality and a fair pathway forward for agriculture.
