Australia needs nature laws that are strong, fair and capable of turning the tide for the ocean and coasts.
The Albanese Government is set to table reforms to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The following sets out the position of the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).
What the ocean and coasts need in our federal nature laws
AMCS is calling for four essential changes:
1. Strong rules for nature protection
Outcome-based, legally-enforceable National Environmental Standards need to ensure all decision making is objective and based on facts. Any proposed developments must deliver a demonstrable and absolute net gain for impacted wildlife and the habitats they depend on. Some places and threatened species populations are just too vulnerable and should be off-limits, and their destruction should be deemed unacceptable.
2. Close the loopholes. End deforestation in the Great Barrier Reef catchment
Close loopholes so the same rules apply to every sector and place — on land and at sea — including activities that destroy huge areas of habitat in Reef catchments which is leading to pollution that is smothering the Reef.
3. An independent referee
Establish a strong, well-resourced and truly independent Environment Protection Agency to make the important decisions based on evidence, not politics — with powers to monitor, enforce and ensure environmental outcomes are achieved, and that our national environmental laws can’t be watered down by local industry pressure.
4. Climate impacts in every decision
Require every approval decision to consider both a project’s entire contribution to global heating and its climate risks to nature — including marine heatwaves and acidification. Environmental laws that don’t seriously consider climate impacts – as our reefs bleach and algal blooms spread – don’t pass the science test, or even the pub test.
Why stronger protection for nature must be a national priority
Strong nature laws are good for everyone — coastal communities and economies, First Nations Sea Country custodians, tourism and fishing businesses, and nature itself.
- A healthy ocean and coast underpins Australia’s prosperity. From the Great Barrier Reef to Ningaloo and our southern kelp forests, marine ecosystems support regional jobs, cultural connection and national identity. Clear, enforceable standards can make the pathway clearer from the start for appropriate development, like renewable energy in the right places.
- Our ocean and coasts are under escalating pressure. Marine heatwaves, pollution and habitat destruction are pushing iconic wildlife and ecosystems to the brink. Sediment and nutrient runoff from deforestation in Reef catchments smother seagrass and coral while industrial development and offshore fossil fuel projects compound the damage.
- Australians want better protection. People expect the federal government to stop avoidable destruction, end special deals, and base decisions on evidence — not politics and industry lobbying.
- The status quo is failing. Weak, discretionary rules have allowed unacceptable loss of habitat and wildlife. Without strong standards, an independent regulator and genuine climate consideration, we will keep losing the very places that make Australia unique.
Quotes from AMCS Chief Executive, Paul Gamblin
Australians have a deep love for our big blue backyard — from the Great Barrier Reef to Ningaloo and the wild Southern Ocean. The ocean and coast shape who we are, but are under immense pressure.
If we want a safe, healthy future for our children, we need strong nature laws that genuinely protect the seas, coasts and marine life we all depend on.
We welcome the Government’s commitment to reform and the development of National Environmental Standards. But exemptions, loopholes and discretionary language risk locking in business-as-usual destruction. That won’t hold water with everyday Australians.
It’s vital that we stay focused on what’s most important. Our position is clear: Close the loopholes. Set strong rules to protect nature, including legally enforceable standards. Establish a genuinely independent EPA that ensures science has primacy over politics. And require climate harm to be considered in every decision.
You can’t claim to protect the Reef while allowing deforestation in its catchments or new offshore fossil fuel projects that heat and harm the ocean.
Australians expect nature laws that protect critical habitat on land and at sea — with no special carve-outs. It’s time to turn the tide.