Australia urgently needs all forms of energy to tackle the current energy crisis.
The Coalition will act decisively to lift Australians' living standards and protect our way of life by backing the resources sector to invest, create jobs, and strengthen Australia's energy sovereignty.
This will be done through targeted, practical reforms that quickly remove investment barriers and accelerate project delivery.
It is clear that Labor's environmental laws provide no guarantees of streamlined assessments, and instead will pile on cost, add further layers of complexity and hold back our resilience as a nation by creating new obstacles for oil, coal, and gas projects.
The Coalition will overhaul environmental approvals to reverse Labor's laws which prevent energy commodities from accessing streamlined approval pathways, fast track projects of national strategic priority, and reinstate incentives to unlock early-stage exploration and new supply.
Together, these measures will get projects moving, deliver more domestic energy for Australians from our own sources right here, and get Australians back into well-paid jobs across mining, energy and related industries.
The Leader of the Opposition, Angus Taylor, said Australia's prosperity has always been built on a strong and competitive resources sector, and it is time to remove the barriers that are holding it back.
"Government doesn't grow the economy, private enterprise does. And Australians should be the ones who benefit from what's beneath our feet, powering our homes, fuelling our cars, creating jobs, and securing our children's future," Mr Taylor said.
"We will get Australia digging and drilling again, and use that strength to meet Australia's own energy needs and pay down the debt bill that is weighing on every Australian family.
"Dig, drill and pay down the debt bill. That's how you rebuild the economy and restore Australians' standard of living.
"Labor has locked up our natural advantages with red tape and net zero ideology.
"We will unlock them to restore growth, rebuild our economy and secure our country's future."
The Coalition will seek to implement three key initiatives:
1. Fixing environmental approvals to unlock investment
The Coalition will reverse Labor's changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) that are stymying oil, gas and coal projects and prevent them from accessing streamlined approval pathways.
2. Introducing National Strategic Priority Projects
The Coalition will establish a new EPBC designation for National Strategic Priority Projects, fast-tracking developments critical to Australia's sovereign capability and national interest.
Such projects would not be limited to oil, coal and gas, but also relate to any critical projects, such as in housing and large-scale renewables.
3. Reinstating the Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive (JMEI)
The Coalition will reinstate the JMEI with $100m to unlock the next generation of mining and energy projects, supporting early-stage exploration and driving new investment.
The previous program, cut by Labor unlocked more than $1.1 billion in capital and $400 million in exploration spending.
Exploration capital is highly competitive and the JMEI allows investors to benefit from providing high-risk, early stage finance through the taxation system.
Shadow Minister for the Environment Andrew Bragg said Australia is going nowhere with Labor's EPBC laws after the government made them worse, not better.
"Australia's abundant energy resources should be put to use for the benefit of Australians. The truth is that we need energy of all forms," Senator Bragg said.
"The Coalition will deliver reforms to the EPBC to make sure it strikes the right balance between delivering energy security and protecting the environment.
"It's pretty simple. If we don't get more oil, we will have to import more. Just as if we do not get more industrial-scale renewable energy, we won't get the data centres needed to support artificial intelligence.
"The current model has left our economy exposed, and our security as a nation is threatened. We owe it to current and future generations that these poorly functioning laws do not result in Australia becoming a weak and dependent nation."
Shadow Resources Minister Susan McDonald said the JMEI program drove $400 million in exploration spending in Australia.
"That exploration spending would not have happened without the successful JMEI program, since slashed by Labor's razor gang," Senator McDonald said.
"Labor's arbitrary taxes and anti-mining and anti-drilling messaging is killing investment into Australia - we want the resources sector unlocked to bring benefits for the economy, the regions and future generations.
"Australia needs to bring back policies that drive growth and energy security, but Labor undercuts the resources and mining industries in favour of ideology that doesn't make Australia safer."
The resources sector employs more than 300,000 Australians and pumps $45.5 billion in wages directly into the pockets of families across the country.
A stronger resources sector means higher wages, more secure jobs and stronger communities, lifting living standards and protecting Australians' way of life.
Only the Coalition will strengthen our resources sector, strengthen our economy, and drive Australian energy sovereignty.
