SYDNEY, Tuesday 26 August 2025 — The Albanese government’s promise to prioritise reforms of Australia’s broken nature laws this year is a welcome step, but the reforms must centre stronger nature protection and address the deforestation crisis, says Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
Environment Minister Murray Watt announced the government’s timeline for the new Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, and the creation of an independent environment watchdog, the EPA. It follows discussions of the nature laws at the government’s productivity summit last week.
Glenn Walker, Head of Nature Program at Greenpeace Australia Pacific said:
“We welcome the government’s clear intent to prioritise these important reforms and finally get the job done. The EPBC Act has long been broken and nature is in serious decline as a result.
“These reforms cannot merely be a big rubber stamp for the big end of town. They need to genuinely protect and restore nature in Australia for decades to come. The government cannot lose sight of what these laws were meant to do, which is to protect nature.”
Greenpeace Australia Pacific is calling for the EPBC reforms to meet four key tests:
- Stronger upfront nature protection to guide better decisions on big projects, including National Environmental Standards.
- An independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce the laws and make decisions about controversial projects at arm’s lengths from politics.
- Closing deforestation loopholes that allow for harmful industries to carry out mass bulldozing across Australia.
- Consideration of the climate impacts on nature from coal and gas mines when assessing projects for approvals.
“We will continue to engage with the government constructively in the reform process but also hold decision-makers to account over these critical tests,” Walker said.
“Now is the time to act decisively for nature. Every two minutes an area the size of a football field is bulldozed in Australia. Every single second, an Australian native animal is killed by deforestation. Our oceans, rivers and wetlands are in serious decline, and industries depending on thriving nature like agriculture and tourism are at serious risk. The Albanese Government must seize this opportunity to set the course right and safeguard nature for generations to come.”
—ENDS—
Please contact Kimberley Bernard on +61 407 581 404 or [email protected]
Notes to Editor
High res images and footage of recent deforestation can be found here
