Nature Positive: Labor urged to reject new Greens deal amid warnings it would inflict ‘great damage’ to WA

Labor’s Nature Positive laws will inflict “great damage” on WA’s economy even without a climate trigger, industry says, as the Government is urged to reject a new Greens deal.

After a months-long political stalemate, the Greens have dropped their demand for a climate trigger and are now prepared to support Labor’s Federal EPA in exchange for a crackdown on native forest logging.

The Nightly confirmed Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young pitched the deal to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek in Canberra on Monday.

Ms Plibersek’s office declined to comment on the offer but sources close to negotiations believe Labor is almost certain to reject the deal amid fears of a backlash in the political battleground state of Tasmania.

Mining and industry groups are pressuring Labor to refuse the revised offer even though it doesn’t include the most feared element —a climate trigger that could potentially block projects based on their greenhouse gas emissions.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief economist Aaron Morey said a new Federal agency would make developments more expensive and harder to get off the ground, slowing not just mining projects but also new housing and other infrastructure.

“Even without a climate trigger, this Bill would do great damage to the WA,” Mr Morey said.

“It must not pass — full stop.

“If the Bill proceeds it will mean delays and cost blow-outs for every major project in Australia, and WA has the most to lose.”

Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable said the legislation was “flawed”.

“Given that the Greens’ so-called olive branch on Nature Positive still carries a heavy stick targeting mining and agriculture, the Federal Government must unequivocally rule out any deal with the Greens on environmental law,” she said.

Chamber of Mines and Energy WA chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson said an EPA with decision-making powers risked duplicating existing processes, undermining the Federal Government’s stated goal of streamlining assessments.

Ms Tomkinson again backed the option of a compliance-only EPA, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese offered months ago as a concession to win the Coalition’s support.

That offer was not accepted.

Labor is being warned a deal with the Greens on native forest logging risks breaking an election promise and unleashing voter fury in Tasmania, a crucial state where Labor is hoping to gain seats.

Mr Albanese wrote an open letter to Tasmania’s forestry workers ahead of the 2022 election promising a future Labor Government would not shut down their industry.

Shadow environment minister Jonathon Duniam — a Tasmanian — said Mr Albanese must reject the Greens’ “ridiculous” offer.

Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young used Senate question time to press Labor on whether it was prepared to accept its demand and close a loophole that exempts native forest logging from Federal environmental assessment.

After challenging the Greens to back the laws as is, Labor frontbencher Jenny McAllister said the Government planned to regulate native forest logging under national environmental standards to be developed in the final stage of its Nature Positive plan.

There is no timeline for the final stage.

In a statement to The Nightly, Senator Hanson-Young said the Greens’ offer could deliver a “genuine win-win for the country”.

“Labor have an opportunity to be constructive and deliver a real outcome to protect Australia’s forests, or they can cave in to the logging chainsaws,” she said.

“Time is up for native forest logging: there are no more excuses for delay.”