Ahead of Minister Murray Watt’s National Press Club address today, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has called for reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act that deliver environmental outcomes without compromising agricultural productivity or increasing red tape.
NFF Interim Chief Executive Su McCluskey said farmers were ready to engage constructively in shaping modern, workable environmental law, but warned the detail would make or break its success.
“These reforms are long overdue, NFF will continue to work with Government to get it right for agriculture,” Ms McCluskey said.
“Farmers manage more than half of Australia’s landmass. They live and breathe environmental stewardship every day, so we need a system that supports them to do that without tying them up in bureaucracy.”
Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt is expected to introduce the EPBC Bill to parliament today. The NFF participated in a consultative roundtable earlier this year and will continue working through the latest policies and legislation with members.
“The current EPBC Act is plagued by duplication and inefficiency due to dual consent provisions with state laws,” Ms McCluskey said.
“Farmers who meet state regulatory requirements can still find themselves breaching federal law. That’s not good enough. We need clear, consistent rules and approvals that deliver certainty.”
Ms McCluskey said the reforms must support productivity, streamline consent processes at state and federal levels, and ensure existing continuing-use provisions are maintained and protected.
“We support sensible reform that aligns with the Samuel Review and gives farmers confidence their ‘business as usual’ operations will be protected.
“There’s broad agreement on the need for national standards, regional planning and certainty, but the detail will matter.
“Concepts like bioregional planning, offsets, net gain and ‘unacceptable impact’ tests need to be properly explained and practically tested. Otherwise, we risk creating confusion and unintended consequences. Further, we are very concerned about fast-tracking renewables, critical minerals or housing developments that could target agricultural land.
“Any push for projects impacting agriculture must come with genuine consultation with farmers and regional communities. We must get the balance right between achieving environmental outcomes, social licence and keeping farmland in production.”
The NFF also noted the intersection between the EPBC reforms and Australia’s broader net-zero ambitions. “As the government pursues its economy wide target of net zero by 2050, changes to EPBC processes may affect the energy projects and carbon initiatives that will get us there,” Ms McCluskey said.
Ashleigh Whittaker