Portfolio — 12 May 2026

Minister Watt used both a PM media release and Senate question time on 12 May to advance the same core message: a $250 million National EPA, operational from 1 July, sits at the centre of the government's environmental approvals reform. The media release added granular Budget detail — $105.9 million for AI-driven data services and $70 million for bilateral state approval agreements — while the Senate appearance gave Watt a platform to point to early delivery evidence, with the housing strike team having approved more than 20,000 homes since its August 2024 launch.

A separate $11.7 million joint investment with the Cook Government to expand the Halls Creek borefield rounds out the day's activity, signalling the portfolio's reach into remote water security alongside its approvals reform agenda.