'Things have to change', Tanya Plibersek announces environmental law overhaul, new EPA

Describing Australia as the "extinction capital of the globe", Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said it would also speed up decisions over projects and developments as part of the long-awaited response to the Samuel Review into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

However, it will not include the "climate trigger" that some environmental groups have been calling for.

Ms Plibersek made the "first step" announcement in Brisbane, stating it was a "win for the environment and a win for business" that has required cooperation, compromise and common sense.

"This is a serious step forward. Fixing our environmental laws is a big job," she said. "I know that there'll be agreements down the track. I know there'll be disagreements down the track."

"You'd expect that in an area where there's so much reform to be done, but to date, we've managed cooperation with compromise and with common settings, and I'm sure that we can proceed that way in the future as well.

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Professor Graeme Samuel's independent review, published in October 2020, made 38 recommendations to fix and strengthen the EPBC Act as he blasted the 23-year-old laws as "ineffective", "outdated" and not fit for purpose.

Ms Plibersek said the proposed overhaul of Australia's environment laws and revamping of national environmental standards should leave Australia in a "better state than we found it".

She said transparency and integrity needs to be returned to the system and the new EPA, an Albanese government election promise, will be a "tough cop on the beat" to impose legally binding environment standards for all decisions.

"What this response will tell you is our disposition on a number of recommendations that Professor Samuel has made," she said.

"The next stage is to go into a more detailed design process, designing the legislation designing the national environmental standards."

"This is large, complex, consequential work."

The legislation is expected to be issued as an exposure draft prior to being introduced into the Parliament before the end of 2023.

Labor is also promising more certainty for business - mining, foresting, farming - by introducing less red tape as well as faster and clearer decisions about developments "including housing and energy".

There is no "climate trigger" to factor in the impact on the climate in the new plan.

Professor Samuel recommended against it in his review, as emissions reduction regulation is dealt with elsewhere, but the Greens and environmental groups have been calling for one, setting up a potential stoush in the Senate.

"We have a legislative path to net zero emissions. What we're not going to do is have two separate systems for assessing carbon pollution emission from projects," Ms Plibersek said.

Under the EPBC Act, projects or developments such as mines, land clearing and forestry that might impact "animals, plants, habitats and places" of national significance require federal assessment and approval.