EPBC Act review calls for ‘single-touch’ environmental approvals

Federal environment laws should be amended immediately to allow states and territories to deliver “single-touch” environmental approvals, an independent review has advised.

But the new
arrangements must be subject to rigorous, transparent oversight by an independent
environment assurance commissioner and underpinned by legally enforceable
national environmental standards.

The significant environmental law reform is one of 38 recommendations contained in the final report of the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) led by Graeme Samuel, pictured.

In his foreword, Professor Samuel says the EPBC Act is outdated, does not enable the Commonwealth to effectively fulfil its environmental management responsibilities, overlaps with state and territory laws, and is a barrier to “holistic environmental management”.

Federal
Environment Minister Sussan Ley released Professor Samuel’s final report this
week, saying the Morrison Government would work through the detail of the
recommendations with stakeholders.

With Prime
Minister Scott Morrison having already committed to fast-tracking environmental
approvals for 15 major projects by working with states and territories to establish
joint assessment teams, the Government is expected to accept many of the review’s
recommendations.

These
include the modernisation of indigenous cultural heritage protection.

The Morrison
Government introduced legislation into Parliament last August to support single-touch
environment approval. However, the legislation has yet to be approved by the
Senate.

ALGA,
together with some state and territory local government associations and individual
councils, made submissions to the inquiry.