Commenting on the draft standard on Matters of National Environmental Significance, the Australian Conservation Foundation's national biodiversity policy adviser Brendan Sydes said:
"This draft standard doesn't deliver for nature.
"Our concerns that the earlier draft did not raise the bar for nature protection are heightened by what is now proposed.
"As now proposed, the legal test for consistency with the standard will be met if a developer merely confirms they complied with some principles and followed certain processes.
"There's no requirement for these processes to actually deliver the outcomes and objectives expressed in the standard.
"The objectives for matters of national environmental significance won't amount to much if there's no requirement for decisions to be aligned with them.
"There are major changes needed if this standard is to 'deliver improved environmental outcomes,' as Minister Watt said the standards would."
Striated pardalote pic by Brendan Sydes
