Report on the Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 The Environmental Protection Reform Bill 2025 would weaken environmental protection by replicating the problematic NSW biodiversity offsetting scheme. The

Read the fun new report 'Payments to Destroy and Lessons Not Learned' from Frances Medlock & @fergusgreen.bsky.social for @australiainstitute.org.au

If anyone can explain how a biodiversity offsets scheme that allows #PayToDestroy can achieve 'Net Gain', I'm all 👂s

#EPBC #OffsetsThatAreNotOffsets

Introducing ‘payments to destroy’ under national nature laws – lessons ignored from the NSW scheme Everyone agrees the current laws are failing, but that doesn’t mean any change is an improvement. When it comes to offsets, it’s clear things are going to get worse not better.

The @greens.org.au have secured a restriction on #PayToDestroy on “protected matters” that'll be "determined by the Minister at a future date, with the advice of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee"

But make no mistake #PayToDestroy has failed in NSW & QLD & will worsen biodiversity loss

Long-sought environmental law reform is finally here. But will the compromise deal actually protect nature? After years of failed attempts, Australia’s environmental laws are finally getting an overhaul. But will they stop the damage done to nature?

First take on EPBC amendments in the compromise deal struck to get it passed

Justine Bell-James, @euanritchie.bsky.social, @drphilmccormack.bsky.social & me in @aunz.theconversation.com

#NativeForestLogging #MinisterialDiscretion #UnacceptableImpacts #PayToDestroy #NationalEnvironmentalStandards

yes, there's quite a few points of regression in the EPBC but for me the signs confirming their Big Business fealty were:
👎 'national interest' exemptions & ministerial discretion power grabs
👎 #PayToDestroy biodiversity offsets
👎 bilateral agreements devolving Fed powers to states/territories

Also relevant in Australia where contrary to all available evidence & advice from conservation science & environmental legal experts, the @albomp.bsky.social Labor govt is trying to insert #PayToDestroy biodiversity offsets into the #EPBC reform package

Lessons fr NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme incl #PayToDestroy
👎when devs only required to 'consider' the Mitigation Hierarchy, Avoid gets ignored & gov regulator has no clue
👎Trust managing offset obligations of devs has excessive flexibility & discretion
👎public effectively derisking private devs

#EPBC #BiodiversityOffsets #PayToDestroy

There's also a wealth of valuable insights in the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into the 'Integrity of the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme' (behold the vast gulf between stated design, intent & operations, and what actually happens in practice!)

With Lisa Cox's years of detailed investigations & reporting, there's ZERO excuse to NOT KNOW the many & varied failures of NSW's biodiversity offset scheme

Choosing to repeat these mistakes is contempt of public interest biodiversity policy

#EPBC #BiodiversityOffsets #PayToDestroy