Portfolio — 21 April 2026

Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt today advanced the most concrete step yet in the federal government's EPBC reform program, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Western Australian Government to develop a bilateral environmental assessment agreement under the reformed Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act [TA-260421-climat-ad744c895aec].

The MOU commits both governments to finalising the agreement by the end of 2026. Under the bilateral model, the WA Government would assess projects against both state and federal environmental laws in a single integrated process, eliminating the need for proponents to navigate separate parallel assessment streams [TA-260421-climat-3d615cd75d54]. The government frames this as a direct accelerant for project approvals across housing, energy, and critical minerals — three sectors where assessment delays have drawn consistent industry criticism.

Watt used the WA signing to draw a pointed interstate contrast. He characterised Western Australia as the most willing state partner in the bilateral program, then named Queensland as the principal hold-out, citing the Queensland Government's decision to establish a State Productivity Commission inquiry into EPBC reforms as a mechanism that would defer any bilateral agreement decision by 12 to 18 months [TA-260421-climat-3d615cd75d54].

The framing positions Queensland's delay as a choice — not a structural constraint — against a backdrop of projects in that state awaiting approvals.

The broader reform architecture underpinning the bilateral program is on a defined timeline. National Environmental Standards are due mid-year, and the new national Environmental Protection Agency will carry ongoing accreditation and auditing responsibility to ensure state assessments conducted under bilateral agreements meet federal standards. This oversight architecture is central to the government's case that streamlined processes do not lower the bar on environmental outcomes — a claim that will face scrutiny once the WA agreement text is released and the standards themselves are published.