Nature Positive (Environment Law Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024

The majority voted in favour of a motion to read the bill for a second time, which is parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill.

What does the bill do?

According to the bills digest, the Nature Positive (Environmental Law Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2024:

amends 9 environmental laws to transfer certain functions and powers from the Minister (or in some cases the Secretary) to the CEO (and in some cases the staff of the EPA). These include the issuing of permit and licences and the undertaking of compliance and enforcement activities.

The Bill also amends the EPBC Act to:

• allow the Minister and Secretary to delegate some or all of their functions and powers to the CEO and EPA staff
• confer compliance and enforcement powers and functions on the Director of National Parks, where these relate to Commonwealth reserves
• increase criminal and civil penalties
• introduce new compliance and enforcement powers
• provide that a proponent can object to the ‘stopping of the clock’ when the Minister requests additional information to enable the Minister to make an informed decision about a proposed action under the EPBC Act.

The CEO referred to is the Chief Executive Officer of a statutory agency to be known as Environment Protection Australia (EPA), which was to be created by Nature Positive (Environment Protection Australia) Bill 2024.