The Property Council of Australia has welcomed the tabling of reforms to our broken Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act as a long-overdue step towards unlocking productivity, strengthening environmental outcomes and boosting the supply of homes and logistics precincts.
Property Council Group Executive Policy and Advocacy Matthew Kandelaars said there is both support from the property industry for serious reforms to our environmental laws and a recognition that the Minister is working to clear the existing housing backlog.
"The time for talk about EPBC Act reform must end. Everyone wants a system that works for business and the environment.
"A better framework is urgently needed to improve certainty for our natural environment and accelerate the assessment of new housing supply.
"Professor Samuel's review of the system in 2020 provides a sensible blueprint for reform.
"These legislative reforms will form the backbone essential for developing and implementing National Environmental Standards that establish a fairer and faster system for everyone and that balance pro-environment and pro-investment outcomes.
"With housing supply under pressure, the government's recent streamlining of housing approvals through the Act has made a real difference. Thousands of homes once stuck in bureaucratic green tape are now being approved.
"This is just a taste of what can be achieved with a better system, and it's time to build on this momentum.
"Faced with a once-in-a-generation opportunity, we need all parties to be constructive and find a pathway to a pro-environment, pro-investment assessment and approvals system."
