Green groups have accused the Albanese government of weakening a proposal to protect threatened species and ecosystems. The draft national environmental standards, intended to reverse the decline of plants, animals and ecosystems, have been criticised for removing requirements for developments to meet specific environmental objectives.
The Wilderness Society said the latest draft, released on Thursday, was ‘riddled with weak language, loopholes and fails to set clear red lines to protect nature’. Under the changes, developers would only need to follow certain processes or principles in their assessments, rather than directly demonstrating required environmental outcomes.
WWF-Australia noted the draft was weaker than the first version and further from the clear, measurable standards recommended by Graeme Samuel’s 2020 review, which found Australia’s laws had failed nature due to being too process-focused. The Australian Conservation Foundation said the standard did not ‘raise the bar for nature’, with no requirement for processes to deliver actual outcomes.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt defended the draft, stating it would set ‘clear and enforceable expectations around impacts to our most precious species, habitats and heritage places’. He said further standards would be released soon, with the first set finalised by mid-year. The government also announced £45m for states to advance plans allowing them to decide on federal environmental assessments.
Policy lead at the Biodiversity Council, Lis Ashby, said threatened species populations had declined by an average of 50% over two decades, and the draft was ‘giving people a gold star for effort even if the outcomes are terrible’. Despite Watt’s assurances, environmentalists maintain the changes undermine the original intent of the reforms.
