Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment(Standards and Assurance) Bill 2021

Organisation: Lighter Footprints

Author: Joy Mettam, Lynn Frankes and Michael Nolan

Release Date: 25/03/2021

Website: https://lighterfootprints.org/wp-content/uploads/EPBC-Amendment-Standards-Final.pdf

We, at Lighter Footprints, have serious reservations about the approach proposed in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Standards and Assurance) Bill 2021 to the negotiation and content of the bilateral agreements and the monitoring of their implementation.

  1. We recommend that the Bill include:
    • a provision that any subsequent review of the National Environment Standards be conducted by independent scientific experts and a requirement that the minister responds publicly to reviews;
    • a definition of ‘public interest’ and mandate if the minister decides to override environmental standards on the basis of public interest any such decision must be published with a statement of reasons for making this decision.

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