Australian news and politics live: Labor strikes deal with Greens to pass environmental law overhaul
Scroll down for the latest news and updates.
Katina Curtis and Amy Lee are reporting live.
Labor responds to key concerns from business, resources sector
The deal that Labor struck with the Greens also includes key changes that business and the resources sector wanted.
It will offer a clearer definition of “unacceptable impacts” and “net gain”, and limit the new stop-work orders from the National EPA to 14 days.
As well, the Government has promised to phase out the exemptions for native forestry from environmental rules.
It will offer a $300 million fund to help forestry businesses transform.
Labor strikes deal with Greens to pass environmental law overhaul
The Government has struck a deal with the Greens to pass the environmental law overhaul.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the deal on Thursday morning, with the expectation the bills will pass before parliament ends for the year this week.
It comes after mining and business representatives made a last ditch lobbying effort to convince the Coalition to make a compromise.
WA Premier Roger Cook also urged the Liberals to get on board in a message late on Wednesday.
Ahead of the PM’s press conference, Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young told ABC TV that they were “very close” to a deal.
“We’re just trying one last time to get some details sorted,” she said.
D-day for deal on contentious environmental law reforms
Labor is expected to strike a deal on its historic overhaul of environmental laws as negotiations reach a pointy end.
Greens leader Larissa Waters and environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the Greens were provided with amendments to the laws, drafted to secure their support.
Labor has remained optimistic an agreement will be struck with either the Greens or the Coalition to pass the laws by the end of the year.
An agreement must be struck by Thursday if the 1500-page package of bills is to be tabled in the Senate.
The bill aims to ensure better protections for the environment while tackling a backlog of critical infrastructure, energy and housing projects by streamlining approvals processes.
