Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Nature Repair Market Bill 2023 (the Bill).

EDO strongly supports investment in environmental restoration and for funding to go to landholders across Australia for biodiversity stewardship. The focus of any scheme established to galvanise investment in restoration and nature repair must be the actual and timely delivery of environmental outcomes. Objectives, principles, governance, rules, methodologies, monitoring, compliance and enforcement, transparency and accountability measures must all be designed to ensure that real environmental outcomes are being achieved on the ground.

As drafted, EDO is concerned the Bill will not deliver positive outcomes for nature, secure restoration in the long-term, or deliver the investment which is critically needed to protect and restore the environment.