Federal EPA a ‘very high and immediate’ priority of Albanese government, environment minister says | Labor party
The new minister, Murray Watt, said that the Federal Environmental Protection Agency legislation is a “very high and immediate priority for the action government that has been re -elected, which indicates that he wants to be rapidly approved the laws of nature to avoid another political battle.
In an early statement on the intentions, Watt will travel next week to Western Australia, where he intends to meet face to face with the Prime Minister, Roger Cook, and the mining industry leaders who helped the pressure that helped pressure on the proposed environment protection agency in the previous period.
In his first interview with Guardian Australia in this role, Senator Quinzland said he was also considering dropping “Nature is positive” The broader reform title of the Labor Party of the Environmental Protection and Preservation of Biological Diversity (EPBC).
“I am thinking about the type of language that we use to describe these repairs,” said Watt.
“I think that whenever we can explain these concepts in that the Australians can understand and buy, I think this improves our chances of building public support for them.”
The former Minister of Industrial Relations was appointed last week to replace him Tania BliberkThree years in the environment portfolio were defined by failing to win the support of the promised nature protection laws.
Watt’s first priority is a decision regarding Woodside app To extend the northwestern cliff gas project to 2070-on May 31-before directing its attention to the reform of the EBPC law.
The Front Labor Party said that “its intention” is to issue a ruling before the deadline instead of searching for another extension.
Plibersek was on the threshold of A. Treat the vegetables In November to establish the Environmental Protection Agency before that Say by the Prime MinisterAnthony Albaniz, amid pressure from miners and wa.
Albaniz entered again in February, raised the legislation indefinitely to anger of environmental groups Members of the Labor Party at the level of al -Qaeda.
The Prime Minister was clarified during the election campaign to establish a federal natural monitoring body, but not in some way to the weeks before that.
With the government’s commitment to new tours of conversations with industry and environment groups, Watt will not be extracted on the possible design of the Environmental Protection Agency 2.0, including an agency option that imposes nature laws but does not agree on projects.
Albanian This model is presented What are the supportive sections of the industry – in a sterile attempt to win the alliance support in the previous period.
The Environmental Protection Agency was just one part of the broad “positive nature” plan, which also included a set of national environmental standards in line with the recommendations in Grame Samuel review of EPBC law.
Plibersek setting standards on Backburner, with no timeframe for its implementation, after the package is divided into April last year.
Watt said he was open to changing the path, following a large group of laws – including the Environmental Protection Agency – rather than multiple slices.
He said: “It was completely understood that we have advanced in the reforms in a way before the elections.” “I really got an open mind about it (a broader bill). There will be positives and negatives about it, and this is one of the things I want to think about.”
Watt did not constitute a point of view on national environmental standards, but he said he was “his intention to progress in these reforms in the spirit of the recommendations of Graim Samuel.”
The new minister will not specify a final date for the legislation, but he indicated that the Labor Party wants to solve the legislation early in the period, outside the temperature of the pre -election period.
“This is a high and immediate priority for the government,” said Watt.
“For this reason on the first day at work, I was on the phone to all the main stakeholders who talk about this. This is why I am heading to Wow next week … to start these conversations.
“I think the immediate period after the elections is an ideal time to settle complicated and controversial reforms and I want to use this opportunity for the best effect.”
The minister insisted that he was not “choosing the two sides” in the discussion, as he made phone calls with environment groups, such as Greenpeace, the Australian Conservation Corporation, and industry groups such as the Minerals Council in Australia.
Watt was open to work with the opposition or vegetables to enhance the laws of the environment, with both parties under new leadership after the elections.
New Green Leader, Larissa Waters urged the government to be “bold” When it reaffirmed the party’s position in banning the original FOREST tree cutting and blocking Coalms and new gas fields.
The Labor Party ruled out the prohibition of the original Forest registration, but committed to applying national environmental standards to regional forest agreements.
The government also does not have any plans to add the “climate operator” to environmental laws, as the protection mechanism is an appropriate mechanism for regulating emissions from fossil fuel projects.
Watt welcomed the water commitment to the “construction” approach in dealing with labor.
“this [environment protection reform] “It will be an ideal opportunity for her to show that she is serious about it,” he said.
