A review of national environment laws led by Graeme Samuel says characterising community appeals as “lawfare” misrepresents the importance of legal review in society and recommends an expansion of their rights.
Both the Planning Institute of Australia and the Property Council of Australia voiced strong backing for the bill during the inquiry, which Steggall said had received about 6,200 submissions.
Simon O’Connor, the chief executive of the Responsible Investment Association Australasia, said policy uncertainty was risking a loss of billions of dollars in investment across multiple sectors.
The association has 350 members, including superannuation funds and investment managers, which collectively manage about $9tn of assets globally.
O’Connor said parliament should consider the bill, which was a “strong step” in creating the certainty for investors that would help unlock billions more in investment.
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A tough test of the Morrison governmentâs environment credentials looms after a major report on national conservation laws called for urgent reforms to prevent further extinction of Australiaâs wildlife.
Former competition watchdog Graeme Samuel handed down his final report from his review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act on Thursday afternoon and highlighted the situation facing the government.
âTo shy away from the fundamental reforms recommended by this review is to accept the continued decline of our iconic places and the extinction of our most threatened plants, animals and ecosystems,â he said in the reportâs introduction.
New focus on climate change adaptation but no sign of 2050 emissions commitment
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MonMonday 25
Environment Minister Sussan Ley announced Australia was joining international climate adaptation efforts.
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Australia is joining international efforts to prepare for a changing climate ahead of the UN climate change conference in Glasgow later this year, but critics are still demanding it makes new commitments to reduce emissions.
Key points:
Australia is making international commitments to help prepare the planet for climate change
It has made a 2030 commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 26 per cent on 2005 levels
Over 100 countries have made commitments to achieve net zero emissions by 2050