The Morrison government came under fire last year after an ANAO report found that 79 per cent of approvals  were non-compliant or contained errors, there was a 510 per cent blow out in jobs delays, and most key decisions were being made outside of statutory time frames.

The Government’s own administrative failures have cost jobs and investment and poor decision making can lead to an increased risk of legal challenge.
 
But it’s no surprise environmental decision making has never been worse after the Morrison government cut 40 per cent of funding to the environment department. 
 
The Minister will wrongly claim today that Labor is taking an all or nothing approach to EPBC reform. Labor has always said we would keep an open mind to sensible reform, and our calls have been consistent with the Samuel Review. 
 
Labor has called for strong environmental standards, a tough cop on the beat, and more efficient and effective decision making. 
 
If the Minister is looking for an impediment to environmental law reform, she should look no further than a mirror. 
 
Instead of responding to recommendations from the Samuel Review, the Minister has sought to rehash Tony Abbott’s failed ‘one-stop-shop’ bill of 2014, which Labor and stakeholders strongly opposed. 
 
Professor Graeme Samuel recommended a staged approach to environmental law reform. He recommended the adoption of an interconnected suite of reform measures,  none of which are contained in the government’s bills currently stalled before the parliament. 
 
It’s been eight long years and all the Morrison Government can do is shirk responsibility for their failure to deliver durable reform to protect the environment and create jobs.  

WEDNESDAY, 16 JUNE 2021