Alison Byrnes (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government is doing more than ever to protect the environment. We are delivering on programs, projects, policies and actions to create a Nature Positive Australia. Labor is a party that cares about and for the environment. We believe in climate change, and we act responsibly. We are not denying the science, like those opposite, or standing in the way of sensible progress, like the Greens political party. We have seen the extreme right and the extreme left almost coming together on tactics on a number of fronts, particularly on renewable energy and the environment. Both the opposition and the Greens political party are all about chasing the headlines and not doing the hard work of implementing sensible and effective changes that help to protect our planet and our environment and secure our energy sources, keeping the lights on and using the cheapest form of energy—renewable energy. For both, it is all about the headlines, often with incorrect information, and not about the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

As the member for Blair pointed out, the leader of the Greens political party along with the member for Brisbane and the member for Griffith didn't address one single iota of this bill. Instead, they spent this debate spreading the misinformation that's pumping out of their party machine. Greens Senator Hanson-Young said today that Gina Rinehart is cheering the government's approval of 151 new gas wells, threatening more than 500 hectares of koala habitat. But the approval that I have right here includes strict conditions: no koala breeding or foraging habitat can be cleared. It's outright disinformation from this party of protest.

Labor is happy to put in the hard work. Unlike them, we will not serve up uncosted, unrealistic and unreliable plans. On this side of the chamber, we understand that addressing climate change requires balancing environmental protection, economic realities and future energy demand. Minister Plibersek has been working with a wide range of stakeholders on these reforms, as have local Labor members. I have met with the Australian climate coalition, the Tomorrow Movement, Surfers for Climate, Good for the Gong, the Australian Conservation Foundation, Sea Shepherd and the Illawarra Knitting Nannas Against Greed amongst many other organisations. Nanna Cherry is a fierce advocate but an even fiercer knitter. I thank her for my and Minister Plibersek's climate scarves, which she kindly gifted to us.

Making positive change means hard work and consultation. We've established the Net Zero Economy Agency to have a focus on the economic opportunities for the regions at the centre of the energy transformation, which have powered and built Australia for generations. We've released the National Electric Vehicle Strategy, most importantly including the commitment to implement new vehicle efficiency standards. We're rolling out 400 community batteries around Australia, including in Warrawong in my electorate, to help Australian homes harness the cost savings of solar energy. We're progressing the development of an offshore wind industry here in Australia. We've designated the Gippsland, Hunter, Southern Ocean and Illawarra zones and are still in consultation for the Bass Strait and Bunbury zones. We have budgeted $1 billion for Solar Sunshot, to help Australia capture more of the global solar manufacturing supply chain, and $2 billion for the vital Hydrogen Headstart program, so Australia stays in the green hydrogen game. Hysata in my electorate is manufacturing the world's most efficient hydrogen electrolyser and recently achieved the largest ever series B capital raise in the southern hemisphere at $172 million, which included a $15 million dollar component from the federal government. This brings our government's investment in this amazing local startup, which came out of the University of Wollongong, to nearly $45 million.

This is just to name a few ways the Albanese Labor government is paving the way for a cleaner and more resilient Australia. We have achieved so much since we came to government, but there is still so much more that needs to be done. These three Nature Positive bills represent a groundbreaking step towards our promise to preserve the breathtaking landscapes, unique biodiversity and rich ecosystems that we are all so fortunate to call home. It indicates a new era of environmental conservation—one that recognises the urgent need for action and sets out a way we can address the climate challenges facing our planet.

However, in recent years, we have seen the alarming consequences of the years of neglect of those opposite. We have seen so much environmental degradation through deforestation, habitat loss, species extinction, pollution and the increasing threat of climate change.

In October 2020, Professor Graeme Samuel AC provided an independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, or the EPBC Act. This act is currently Australia's central piece of national environmental law. His review concluded that the act had become outdated, ineffective and in dire need of reform. The review found that Australia's environmental law was not working for the environment, for business or for the community. This review from Professor Samuel, when read in conjunction with the 2021 State of the environment report, paints a very alarming picture for what could be our future with no intervention. The 2021 State of the environment reportsaid:

Overall the state and trend of the environment of Australia are poor and deteriorating as a result of increasing pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and resource extraction.

If we progress down this path without intervention in the constantly changing environmental conditions, many species of flora and fauna and entire ecosystems will continue to be threatened and eventually become extinct.

The idea of accelerating this decline should alarm us all. Our economy, our livelihood and our wellbeing all depend on the health of the natural world. Currently, our demand on nature exceeds its capacity to survive, thrive and regenerate. Preventing environmental damage and ensuring that our laws are upheld is one of the most important things that we can do to protect nature. Our Nature Positive Plan aims to deliver stronger protections for the environment, provide faster and clearer decisions for business, and restore accountability and trust to our environmental laws.

The Albanese Labor government has committed to protect 30 per cent of Australia's land and seas by 2030, create a nature repair market, establish an independent environment protection agency and work in partnership with First Nations people. We've done this by doubling funding to better look after national parks, including Kakadu and Uluru; keeping the Great Barrier Reef off the World Heritage in Danger list by better protecting it with a $1.2 billion investment and doubling funding for the marine scientists who look after it; investing $1.3 billion to support the successful Indigenous ranger program, including doubling the number of rangers who help manage the feral animals and weeds killing our native species; and ensuring First Nations people are at the forefront of conservation efforts by investing more than $230 million to expand Indigenous protected areas. We will fix our laws so they are less bureaucratic and provide more certainty for business. We will also make sure the laws improve nature and protect our unique native plants and animals to prevent any further extinctions.

This has been a huge task and one that Labor has consulted widely on. Last year, we passed legislation to establish the world's first nature repair market, which was a stage 1 of the Nature Positive Plan. These three bills are part of the second stage of implementation of the Nature Positive Plan. The Albanese Labor government is establishing an independent national environment protection agency to be known as Environment Protection Australia or EPA. EPA will administer Australia's environmental protection laws to better protect the environment and make faster and better decisions. It will be charged with delivering accountable, efficient, outcome focused and transparent environmental regulatory decision-making. EPA will be an independent national environmental regulator that Australians can be proud of. It will be responsible for a wide range of activities under Australia's environment laws, including recycling and waste exports, hazardous waste, wildlife trade, sea dumping, ozone protection, underwater cultural heritage and air quality. In addition, EPA will be able to provide better guidance and education to make sure businesses are clear about the rules so they can do the right thing; issue environmental protection orders or stop work orders to address or prevent incoming significant environmental risks and harm; and conduct audits on businesses to ensure that they are compliant with environmental approval conditions.

We have also introduced legislation to establish Environment Information Australia, or EIA. EIA will work in collaboration with Australian experts, scientists and First Nations people to collect information and produce consistent tracking of the state of Australia's environment. With the information gathered, the EIA will provide the government, business and the community with reliable, high-quality information and environmental data. They will also create an online database that will help businesses access appropriate data to speed up and make the federal environmental approvals process smoother. Having this database easily accessible will reduce the need for scientific studies for the approval process to be repeated unnecessarily.

The current legislation states that a review of the Australian environment must be completed every five years. This is not good enough. That's why we are increasing the frequency from every five years to every two years. This is so future governments can't hide the truth about the condition of the environment like the last Liberal government did. The EIA bill also defines for the very first time the term 'nature positive' and introduces a requirement to report on Australia's national progress toward that outcome. This will be the first time any country has defined nature positive in legislation and put in place national reporting against this objective.

The EPA will work closely with the EIA, as well as with state and territory governments, to have better availability and use of environmental data for planning and decision-making. What Labor is trying to achieve through these bills is to promote the importance of proactive conservation measures. We want to protect and restore the intricate biodiversity here in Australia by preserving key habitats, promoting sustainable land management practices and protecting endangered species. We want to empower local communities and Indigenous peoples by making sure that everyone is getting involved in environmental planning and management.

There is still a lot to be done to help futureproof the environment, but these three bills are a huge step in the right direction. Unfortunately, those opposite do not care about lowering power bills or combating climate change; all they care about is delaying progress, denying science and deceiving Australians. I commend this bill to the House.

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