The Federal Government has released the draft Framework of Standards for Accreditation under national environmental law.

 

The Federal Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, said that the draft standards underpins the Government's approach to reform to environmental regulation.

 

“I have released the draft standards so that there is opportunity for people to see the approach the Government is taking as we negotiate with states and territories on streamlining environmental regulation,” Mr Burke said.

 

Mr Burke said the introduction of the standards will ensure that the standard of environmental regulation in the States and Territories.

 

“This is about lifting the States up to the level of environmental protection provided by the Commonwealth, not letting Commonwealth standards drop. We can keep stringent environmental standards while simplifying an overly complex process - and we are," Mr Burke said.

 

“Since the Government delivered its response to the Hawke Review last year we have been working to deliver a simpler environmental protection system that has clearer standards and gives faster decisions."

 

“This is not about rolling back our environmental protections. Not one clause of existing environmental law is altered. This is about removing unnecessarily duplicative and time-consuming processes."

 

The framework sets out the principles that underpin the Government’s approach to each bilateral agreement, including that:

  • matters of national environmental significance are protected as required under the EPBC Act
  • there will be high quality assessment of the impacts of proposed actions on matters of national environmental significance
  • authorised actions do not have unacceptable or unsustainable impacts on matters of national environmental significance
  • Australia will comply fully with all its international environmental obligations.