CCIWA’s advocacy efforts on the Federal Government’s ‘Nature Positive’ Bills have been rewarded, with the controversial reforms now unlikely to pass Parliament before next year’s Federal Election.
Recent media coverage on the ‘Nature Positive’ Bills.
After becoming aware a deal between the Government and Greens party was imminent, CCIWA, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA and several other industry groups, in close consultation with the State Government, emphasised to Prime Minister Albanese the considerable risks posed by the proposed reforms.
On November 27, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reportedly stepped in to scrap the deal, shelving the legislation, in one of the final days of Parliament for 2024 and just months out from the Federal Election.
CCIWA Chief Executive Chris Rodwell says the outcome is a win for WA and a win for common sense, but warned the campaign is not over.
“The risk posed by the Federal Government creating a Canberra-based agency to oversee major project approvals remains. Such an agency would not just impact major resources projects, but also projects in housing, defence, public infrastructure, clean energy and many other sectors,” he says.
“Unlike our existing state-based agencies, this new body as it is currently proposed would not need to consider the social and economic benefits of a particular project.
“And there’s no guarantee the outcomes will be any better for the environment than the current approvals system in WA, which is already among the strictest in the world.”
CCIWA understands the ‘deal’ with the Greens included dropping the climate trigger in exchange for a ban on native forest logging.
CCIWA Chief Economist Aaron Morey says whether there’s a climate trigger or not, the Bill would be a major blow to WA’s economy and would harm the country’s decarbonisation efforts.
“Even without a climate trigger, this Bill would do great damage to the WA economy. It must not pass – full stop. If the Bill proceeds it will mean delays and cost blow-outs for every major project in Australia, and WA has the most to lose,” he says.
Environmental approvals are set to remain a key policy priority for CCIWA in the lead up to the both the Federal and State elections.
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