After years of backtracking and broken promises, the Albanese government is finally preparing to table reforms to our national environment laws, indicating that they want the proposed new laws introduced into Parliament by November.
Good news, right?
Well, it depends on what these laws look like and how they stack up when it comes to protecting people and nature.
Why we need new nature laws:
Australians love this country for its immense natural wealth: bush, rivers, reefs and wildlife. It's who we are and how we thrive. But our nature is shrinking fast. If we want a strong Australia, we need strong nature laws.
Weak laws have allowed deforestation and destruction to continue at an enormous scale. Every two minutes a football field's worth of forests and bushland is bulldozed, displacing threatened species and destroying their homes.
But it's not just the homes of koalas that are being obliterated when the bulldozers roll through. Around half of Australia's economy depends on nature. Tourism alone generates over $60 billion a year and employs more Australians than mining.
The rapid decline of our natural wealth hurts our living standards, livelihoods and future.
Strong nature laws are good for everyone: businesses, families, and nature. They protect the places we love, the water we drink and the air we breathe.
