By Abbas Nazil
Australian has announced plans to create its first National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) as part of a major overhaul of federal environmental laws.
Environment Minister, Murray Watt, said on Sunday that the new agency will serve as an independent regulator to strengthen compliance, ensure transparency, and improve oversight of environmental protection across Australia.
He said NEPA will have strong enforcement powers to hold violators accountable and ensure that those who harm the environment face serious consequences.
Watt described Australia’s current environmental laws as “fundamentally broken” and stressed the need for urgent reform nearly five years after the Graeme Samuel Review found the existing framework outdated and ineffective.
The agency will operate independently of the environment minister, focusing on compliance, audits, and education about new environmental laws.
However, decision-making authority on specific project approvals and state or territory accreditations will still rest with the minister.
The establishment of NEPA comes alongside other proposed reforms, including national environmental standards, changes to offset policies, and tougher penalties for corporations that breach the law.
Watt urged the Opposition and the Greens to support the reforms when they reach parliament, emphasizing that they will deliver better outcomes for both nature and business.
Opposition leader, Sussan Ley, criticized the plan, calling it an “environmental approvals disaster” that would increase bureaucracy.
Greens leader Larissa Waters also dismissed the reforms, arguing that they fail to adequately protect nature and only “weaken an already weak piece of legislation.”
Despite political divisions, the government hopes the new agency will mark a turning point in protecting Australia’s ecosystems and biodiversity for future generations.