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Following the federal government’s announcement of its “Nature Positive Plan: Better for environment, better for business”, the Property Council of Australia (PCA) has said industry consultation is key.
Following decades of government underinvestment in “data, process improvement, and preservation of land for conservation purposes”, Mike Zorbas, PCA policy executive, urged the Albanese government to “closely consult industry on the proposed National Environmental Standards, the regional planning frameworks in order to make this right”.
Professor Graeme Samuel’s 2019 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act found the legislation is “outdated and requires fundamental reform” and that “Australians do not trust that the act is delivering for the environment, for business, or for the community”.
In response to Professor Samuel’s review and report, the government announced the plan that aims to deliver:
- Stronger laws designed to repair nature, to protect precious plants, animals, and places
- A new Environment Protection Agency to make development decisions and properly enforce them
- More certainty through time and money-saving measures and quicker decisions about developments, including housing and energy
- Less red tape to streamline and consolidate the project assessment process
In Mr Zorbas’ estimation, the plan “presents an opportunity to improve environmental outcomes while streamlining the approval process.” Adding, “we look forward to engaging further with the government and key stakeholders to put two decades of lost opportunity behind us.
“It is vital that the future National Environmental Standards lock in certainty for governments, proponents, and communities.
“The property industry will continue to work with all levels of government to provide homes for Australians and to advance outcomes for our precious natural environment,” he concluded.
Federal Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said the plan was constructed on three principles: “clear national standards of environmental protection, improving and speeding up decisions, and building trust and integrity”.
Moreover, the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) president, Maxwell Shifman, said: “The development industry has been aligned with the Commonwealth government’s overall approach — land in need of protection should be preserved, and that land should be used to create our cities, towns, and businesses must have a simple, clear framework that can be efficiently navigated for quick environmental decisions before committing to projects.”
These initiatives come in addition to $1.8 billion in recent budget commitments towards a range of eco-friendly programs, such as the Great Barrier Reef, and fund the Environmental Defenders Office, amongst others.
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