“The establishment of a federal Environmental Protection Agency will dramatically increase red and green tape on wealth creating industries. It is also a clear threat to Australia’s capacity to deliver on its critical minerals and real earths death with the United States,” said Saxon Davidson, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs.
Today, the Albanese government reintroduced their Nature Positive Plan into parliament via the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, National Environmental Protection Agency Bill 2025, and the Environment Information Australia Bill 2025.
“This legislation could not come at a worse time with the signing of the vital critical minerals and rare earths deal with the US, which requires projects to be expedited, rather than held up in green and red tape,” Mr Davidson said.
Included in these bills is the Albanese government’s second attempt to legislate a duplicative federal EPA body, the National Environmental Protection Agency. This body will increase red tape imposed on Australia’s most economically vital industries, particularly the resources and agriculture sectors.
“With red and green tape already at a record high across the country, and economic and productivity growth stagnant, the introduction of this EPA will only increase it further and add more strain on a faltering economy,” Mr Davidson said.
Previous analysis by the IPA of the federal EPA revealed that:
- The proposed federal EPA will cost taxpayers approximately $1.8 billion per annum once fully operational.
- The EPA would increase the number of bureaucrats in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water by up to 4,760.
- Total staffing expenditure for the proposed EPA alone would be almost $694 million per year.
“The approval streamlining provisions included in the draft legislation provide no assurance to Australians that major projects will not be held up by activism and lawfare, as experienced by projects such as Adani,” Mr Davidson said.
“Every state and territory, bar Queensland, already has a functioning EPA, the only reason for the federal government to introduce this body is to bury Australian industries in even more red tape, red tape which already largely exists at the state level.”
These bills are part of the government’s broader Nature Positive Plan that aims to lock up 30 per cent of Australia’s land and marine areas. This presents a significant long-term threat to Australia’s prosperity and economic growth.
“These bills, and the Nature Positive Plan must be abandoned. The federal government needs to redirect its attention to cutting red tape, simplifying our environmental laws, and removing duplication to unleash prosperity, and allow our industries to do their job and provide for all Australians,” Mr Davidson said.
To download the IPA’s previous research click here.
