Nature Positive: Tanya Plibersek urges ‘give and take’ on new environment laws

Tanya Plibersek has lashed the Greens over their stubbornness as she continues her battle to get her Nature Positive legislation through Parliament.

Ms Plibersek has made compromises on a new environmental protection watchdog and hopes the laws can pass in the next fortnight with backing from the Coalition.

But the Environment Minister said everyone couldn’t get everything they wanted.

“None of this is a surprise. They know what’s on the table,” she said at a Bibra Lake recycling centre.

“Everybody’s going to have to give and take a little bit.

“And the idea that any party would vote this down because it’s not everything they want, I think, would be a massive disappointment to Australians who want to see progress.

“It actually blows me away that anyone in the Greens political party would think that this is unimportant.”

In an interview with The Nightly, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Government was open to a compromise with the Coalition that would make the new body, Environment Protection Australia, a compliance-only watchdog rather than also having a decision-making role in approvals.

He said that would enable the legislation to get through Parliament.

But that move was savaged by the Greens and environmental groups.

A committee examining the legislation is due to report back on Monday and Ms Plibersek said she hoped it could pass while the Senate sits during the next fortnight.

The Government remains in discussions with the Coalition about paring back the new agency to remove its decision-making role.

The resources sector is leaning on the Nationals to accept the compromise, with the junior coalition partner seen as the holdouts.

Ms Plibersek also revealed WA’s business and resources community had her phone number and weren’t afraid to offer “pretty frequent feedback” directly over the reforms.

She raised the spectre of the Rudd-era carbon pollution reduction scheme, opposed by the Greens and Coalition, to warn the Greens that allowing the perfect to be the enemy of the good risked environmental protection going backwards.

“There is something in these laws for everyone,” she said.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure we get faster, clearer decisions for business and we get stronger environmental protections.

“I believe the business community have been strongly urging people in the Liberal and National parties to back these laws because they know that with faster, clearer decisions, we get better investment, a stronger flow of investment, more jobs and economic growth for Australia.”