In their first term, the Labor Government promised a new, stronger Nature Positive Act, implementing all 38 recommendations of the 2021 Samuel review into the existing weak and old environment laws (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999) which is no longer fit for purpose. However, only the first stage of the new Act was legislated and the rest has stalled in Parliament. To help mitigate climate disaster, prevent further approvals of greenhouse gas polluting projects, and stop habitat loss and species extinctions, the new Act must safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems, and be consistent with a net-zero future.

Background:

The EPBC Act is the only federal legislation that protects our environment from the adverse effects of projects such as coal mining, gas drilling, fracking, power stations, and land-clearing. For a long time, these laws have been criticised for their failure to protect the environment - you can see a more detailed summary of the current Act, concerns and limitations, and proposed reforms, here. Our continuing and increasing deforestation, particularly of native and old-growth forest, our global leadership in mammal extinction and biodiversity loss, and our poor performance on climate action are a testament to the failings of the existing legislation.

The Samuel Review (January 2021) recommended reforms to ensure strength, consistency and independence in the compliance and enforcement system, and provided 38 suggestions. The Albanese government promised reforms during its first term of government, but failed to deliver - and now they are being pushed ahead at record speed. On October 30 2025, the long-awaited reforms to this bill - presented as the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 - were tabled in parliament. After significant negotiations during Parliament’s last sitting week in 2025, a deal was reached with the Greens on 27 November, which will allow the reformed legislation to pass the Senate with some amendments to better protect our environment from harm.

But despite this deal, the proposed revised legislation is still widely considered to be inadequate for many reasons, not limited to:

1. Climate harm is not meaningfully considered. The legislation does not require projects to assess, report, or reduce their climate pollution, meaning major sources of emissions can proceed without scrutiny. There is no climate trigger, meaning decision-makers can still approve fossil fuel developments even when their climate impacts are significant. Several mechanisms in the bill could be used to fast-track fossil fuel projects, streamlining their approval despite the clear climate damage they cause. There is also no requirement for Scope 3 emissions (from burning exported coal and gas) to be considered or disclosed, which leaves a significant portion of Australia's total emissions footprint invisible in decision-making. 
2. Public accountability and consultation processes are weakened. Streamlined assessment processes reduce opportunities for scrutiny, new approval pathways risk bypassing community engagement, and consultation is not guaranteed across all types of decisions. This limits transparency and public involvement, which is fundamental to our democratic processes and limits the ability of all Australians to have a say on how our environment and climate are protected.
3. Independent oversight is undermined and environmental safeguards are ineffective. The proposed National Environment Protection Authority lacks full independence from the Minister, leaving decisions open to political influence and developer pressure, while vague and discretionary National Environmental Standards, combined with loopholes and a “pay-to-destroy” offsets system, allow significant environmental damage to occur without meaningful safeguards.

The Environment and Communications Legislation Committee has opened an inquiry into the new nature laws, with submissions open until 5 December 2025. Individuals are welcome to make a submission to this inquiry, and we encourage everyone to share their concerns over the new legislation through this formal channel, as well as directly contacting your MP.

It is still important to make a public submission even though the new laws are passed, because this will ensure your opinion is on the public record and can be used to influence future amendments to the Act, and inform aspects of the reform package that are still to be decided in 2026, such as the mandate of the Environment Protection Authority and content of the National Environment Standards.

Why is this important?

• Strong environmental protections are essential to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems. The laws must prevent habitat destruction, protect threatened species, and maintain healthy natural systems that underpin our environment, culture, economy, and quality of life.
• Our nature laws need to be consistent with a net-zero future. That means requiring full disclosure of climate pollution and requiring the government to consider climate pollution when making decisions and enabling them to stop projects that would cause significant climate harm. The new legislation needs to protect Australians, our economy, and our environment from harm caused by fossil fuels. 

Who to contact: 

• Senators (Labor, Greens and Coalition) are the most important MPs to contact as there is currently a Senate Inquiry ongoing, due to report back in March 2026.
• Your local Federal MPs (check on this website if you’re unsure who that is)
• Key Federal Ministers (addresses in link) including: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; Environment Minister Murray Watt; Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen; Resources Minister Madeleine King; Treasurer Jim Chalmers; Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell; Transport Minister, Catherine King; Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson
• Federal Senate Crossbenchers (addresses in link) including the Greens, Independents David Pocock and Tammy Tyrell, and Jacqui Lambie (JLN), who hold the balance of power in the Senate.

Resources:

• Summary of the current Act, proposed reforms, concerns and limitations. 
• Guidance on Senate Inquiry submissions from other great organisations including the Climate Council, Environmental Justice Australia, Environmental Defenders Office, and the Australian Conservation Foundation. Each has its own unique perspective on the gaps in the revised legislation, recommendations for improvements to the legislation, and suggestions on how personal submissions can be most effective.
• Email example below and General email template here to write your own from scratch.

Actions you can take:

1. Email your Senators, MP and/or Minister

The Hon. Murray Watt

Minister for the Environment and Water

Dear Minister

I am writing to you in your role as Minister for Environment and Water.

[Add personal sentence - who you are, why you care] 

I am concerned about the proposed Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and its potential impacts on Australia’s environment and climate future. The existing legislation has so far failed to prevent deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate harm, and the revised legislation fails to address many of the gaps that could prevent this from continuing. I don’t believe the proposed reforms provide enough meaningful protections for our environment or climate, but it is so important to me that we have stronger, enforceable laws that safeguard Australia’s people, climate, biodiversity, and ecosystems

I urge you to ensure the following:

• Make our nature laws consistent with a net-zero future. Demand full disclosure of climate pollution, and require the government to consider climate pollution when making decisions so they are able to stop projects that would cause significant climate harm. 

• Safeguard biodiversity and ecosystems. The laws must prevent habitat destruction, protect threatened species, and maintain healthy natural systems that underpin our environment, culture, economy, and quality of life.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely

Name

Address

Phone

(Note: your contact details are required if you want a reply)

2. Call your MP or Minister's office

This is a way to respond instantly to an issue and only takes a couple of minutes. 

Here is a suggested script to get you started:

3. Visit your MP

Nothing beats a face-to-face conversation. Email your MP’s electorate office to ask for a meeting and follow up with a phone call a few days later. Get help on how to do this under the Democracy and Governance heading on our Issue briefings webpage.

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