Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, Environment Information Australia Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Customs Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Excise Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (General Charges Imposition) Bill 2025, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (Restoration Charge Imposition) Bill 2025

Mr GEE (Calare) (21:32): I rise to speak on this significant legislation—the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and related bills—for the people of the Central West and our nation. Australia's population is increasing, and the population of the world is increasing. This national and global population growth, coupled with the rapid industrialisation of the world, has placed significant strain on our environment and environments around the globe.

Steps need to be taken now to ensure that Australia's unique and magnificent flora and fauna are protected so that they are around for generations to come. The pressure on our environment is only going to increase. We simply can't take it for granted.

It's a very fragile planet we live on and, if we don't take steps to protect the extraordinary natural environment we have been gifted, we not only risk destroying it but also risk the very ability of the planet to sustain life itself. The Calare electorate is home to some of Australia's most stunning natural beauty, including the Gardens of Stone National Park, which is one of the eight protected areas that in 2000 became part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.

It's home to a total of 423 native plant species. It's important to note that these reforms arise from the second independent statutory review of the EPBC Act. The review commenced in October 2019 and was led by Professor Graeme Samuel.

The Samuel review, as it has become known, found that: Australia's natural environment and iconic places are in an overall state of decline and are under increasing threat. It concluded that: The EPBC Act is out dated and requires fundamental reform. It does not enable the Commonwealth to effectively fulfil its environmental management responsibilities to protect nationally important matters.

The Act, and the way it is implemented, results in piecemeal decisions, which rarely work in concert with the environmental management responsibilities of the States and Territories. The Act is a barrier to holistic environmental management which, given the nature of Australia's federation, is essential for success. The final report made 38 recommendations for improving the operation and effectiveness of the act.

It stated: The reforms … are designed to enable the Commonwealth to step up its efforts to deliver nationally important outcomes for the environment by: setting clear outcomes through new, legally enforceable National Environmental Standards that set the boundaries for decision-making to deliver the protections needed actively restoring the environment and facilitating the scale of investment needed to deliver better outcomes taking an adaptive approach, through better planning, measuring the effectiveness of implementation and adjusting where needed to achieve outcomes harnessing the knowledge of Indigenous Australians to better inform how the environment is managed.

Having been told clearly and categorically that our environment and iconic places are in a state of decline and under threat and also that our environmental laws are not fit for purpose, I don't think that we as a country can sit back and do nothing. We owe it to future generations to act. To do otherwise would be an abrogation of our responsibilities as members of parliament.

It's a long, weighty and complicated bill, but at its heart are three core elements. The first is the establishment of an independent environmental protection authority, or EPA, with responsibility for monitoring compliance with approval conditions and enforcing environmental requirements. The second element is the creation of national environmental standards designed to provide clear, consistent guidelines for project assessment and approval, create greater certainty for project proponents regarding requirements, focus protection efforts on matters of national environmental significance and establish measurable environmental outcomes rather than just processes.

The third element is the streamlining of assessment processes to improve speed and efficiency. This includes accrediting state and territory assessment processes where appropriate, reducing duplication between federal and state requirements and improving coordination between different levels of government. These last points are important because what the business sector says it wants is certainty.

Warren Pearce, Chief Executive of the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, said: This legislation sets the foundation for a system that delivers both the strong environmental protections Australians expect and the certainty that industry needs to invest, explore and create jobs. The Business Council of Australia said the bill was 'an opportunity to fix a broken system'.

It also said: … further changes are needed to make sure it works for the economy and the environment. Tania Constable from the Minerals Council also noted that the bill will require certain amendments, and she said: The Australian mineral industry supports the government's aim to overhaul national environmental law to deliver better outcomes for the environment and business.

Lengthy and uncertain assessment and approval processes have a severe impact on productivity and on Australia's ability to seize the vast opportunities of a world-class mining sector that underpins our national prosperity. These reforms need to set Australia up for success to ensure we achieve environmental, social and economic gains. As I've said, this is a lengthy and complicated piece of legislation, and it does require proper security.

The government should be criticised and even condemned for its attempts to rush this through this House and the Senate before the Christmas break. It does smack of trying to avoid scrutiny. It should also be said that this bill is not perfect.

It can and should be amended in certain key areas as it journeys through the Senate. However, I will be supporting it in this House this week and will reserve my position as to the form of the bill upon its return here with any amendments that may be made in the Senate, where it will face more scrutiny. Protecting our environment is not and should not be about ideology.

It's about preserving our extraordinary natural wonders for future generations and sustaining life on this planet we all call home.