EDITORIAL: Sensible deal must be done on green law rewrite

The scrap over proposed changes to Australia’s Federal conservation laws has now stretched across three years and the tenures of two environment ministers.

Now, Murray Watt says it’s “now or never” for the legislation. He — and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — are desperate to get the long-awaited reform across the line before Parliament rises for the final time this year.

Labor need a win to round out 2025 — something to point to in order to prove this election year hasn’t been a complete dud.

Mr Watt, who took over the environment portfolio from Tanya Plibersek earlier this year after her attempt at brokering a deal on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act stalled, says he is open to dealing with either the Greens or the Coalition.

All agree that the current system is broken, offering inadequate environmental protection while also acting as an unwelcome handbrake on development.

The goal is to create a system which can serve both masters, by writing in robust conservation laws while streamlining assessment processes for developers.

In return for their support, the Coalition has issued a list of seven demands, described by Opposition Leader Sussan Ley as “sensible amendments”.

They include diluting the scope of a new environmental watchdog by keeping decision-making powers with the minister and narrowing definitions of “unacceptable impacts” and “net gain”, and changes to fines.

In response, Labor has offered to keep existing streamlined pathways, put a 14-day time limit on stop work orders, add an explanation that the maximum penalties should only apply to the most egregious breaches, and either give the minister the power to make directions to the head of the new EPA or to allow for their sacking if their performance in unsatisfactory.

Those concessions meet four points on the Coalition’s seven-point wish list.

On Tuesday, Ms Ley indicated she didn’t share Mr Watt’s sense of urgency in getting the rewrite passed before the end of the year.

“I am happy to discuss this personally, leader-to-leader, with the Prime Minister,” she said.

“I’ll meet with Anthony Albanese every week for the next eight weeks to work through this detailed 1500 pages of legislation, in the importance of getting it right.”

The Coalition’s recalcitrance has led Mr Watt to fume that the parties have been too distracted by their own inner turmoil to give the issue the attention it demands.

“One of the problems that we’ve had with the negotiations with the Coalition all the way along is the fact that they haven’t been able to focus on what they want, because they’ve obviously been focusing on their internals,” he told Sky News.

“We’re now at a point where I’ve got multiple people from the Coalition seeking to negotiate with me, rather than one… Every time I meet with them, there are new amendments that are added to the list.”

The business community has been clear — they want this saga over with and a deal done.

The Minerals Council of Australia has urged the Government and the Coalition come to a “sensible compromise” so critical projects aren’t subject to even longer unnecessary delays.

They want an end to constant chopping and changing to regulations. And they want the reassurance that it won’t be the development-hating Greens who have the power to dictate policy.

Responsibility for the editorial comment is taken by Editor-in-Chief Christopher Dore.