The Albanese Government's deal with the Greens to force its flawed EPBC reforms through the Senate confirms the Labor-Greens alliance is back, locking Australia into a chaotic regime that will hurt jobs, productivity and investment.
At a time when project pipelines are tightening, productivity has fallen, and competition for global capital is fierce, Labor has chosen a model that makes it harder to approve major projects, harder to employ Australians and harder for regional communities to grow.
Under Labor and the Greens, gas and critical minerals projects that are essential to Australia's energy security, industrial base and global competitiveness will be pushed into the approvals slow lane.
And it won't stop there. The impacts of this deal will flow straight through to the construction industry, pushing up the cost of building materials and making it even harder for Australians to build and buy homes.
Labor's EPBC package was already unworkable. By locking in a Greens-backed model, the Government has cemented uncertainty, entrenched excessive regulatory power in an unaccountable EPA, and guaranteed longer delays for project approvals across the economy.
These reforms also ignore clear recommendations of the Samuel Review which called for clear rules, reduced duplication and faster, more certain approvals.
The Coalition was constructive at every step, offering sensible amendments and a practical pathway to deliver genuine streamlining and improved environmental outcomes.
Our approach would have fixed bad laws and turned them into genuine reforms that lifted productivity, supported jobs and attracted investment.
Industry, and business agreed substantial changes were vitally needed to make the legislation workable.
The Coalition will oppose the Labor Greens destructive deal and fight for an environmental system that protects our natural heritage while supporting jobs, investment and the communities that rely on a strong economy.
