In a significant political breakthrough, the Australian government has secured passage of its landmark environmental law reforms through parliament, with Labor ministers firmly rejecting claims the changes will drive up power prices for households and businesses.
Breakthrough Deal After Tough Negotiations
A last-minute agreement was finalised on Thursday when the Greens party agreed to support Labor's long-awaited overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The deal came after prolonged negotiations that yielded several concessions to secure crossbench support.
The legislation successfully passed the Senate on Thursday night and was expected to receive final approval in the House of Representatives on Friday morning, marking a major legislative achievement for the Albanese government.
Greens environment spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young described the negotiations as the 'toughest' she had experienced during her political career. "We will block bad laws if we can't fix them. But here we were able to get a good result," she told ABC radio.
Government Addresses Power Price Concerns
Environment Minister Murray Watt directly addressed concerns raised by the Coalition that the reforms would lead to increased energy bills, firmly dismissing these claims.
"I'm not going to make promises about what that means for bringing power prices down, but obviously, if we can have more supply in the system more quickly, then that is going to help moderate prices when it comes to energy," Senator Watt stated during an ABC radio interview.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared the reforms represented a new era for both environmental protection and productivity, highlighting the government's commitment to balancing ecological concerns with economic development.
Addressing Emissions Targets and Industry Concerns
When questioned about recent Climate Change Authority forecasts showing Australia falling short of its 62 to 70 per cent emissions reduction target range, Senator Watt acknowledged that more work remains necessary.
"If we can be getting renewable energy projects in the ground operating more quickly as a result of these reforms that the parliament's passing, that will help achieve those emissions reductions targets," he explained.
The reforms represent the government's response to Professor Graeme Samuel's 2020 review of environmental laws, promising enhanced nature protection through environmental standards while simultaneously accelerating project approval processes.
Environmental organisations have broadly welcomed the agreement, though mining and industry groups continue to express concerns about provisions excluding coal and gas projects from streamlined assessment pathways, preventing their fast-tracking.
University of Queensland law professor Justine Bell-James noted that exempting these controversial projects aligns with both public sentiment and political considerations. "These are really controversial things that need proper scrutiny," she stated. "As well, it is just incompatible with the government trying to take a strong stance on climate change."
In a concession to industry stakeholders, the government agreed to address concerns regarding two pro-nature provisions, including clarifying the definition of 'unacceptable impact' that could potentially block projects based on ecological harm.
Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black warned that ambiguity remains in how this definition would apply to specific projects. "What that means is right across the board, there is the potential that projects that are presently capable of being assessed will no longer be capable of being assessed under that new system," he told reporters on Thursday.
A major innovation introduced in the reforms is bioregional planning, which enables governments to assess environmental impacts at a landscape scale rather than project-by-project. This approach allows regulators to identify ecologically significant areas requiring protection while mapping out zones suitable for development with minimal environmental conflict.
