The Queensland Government has introduced legislation that would significantly restrict the long-standing right of communities to have their concerns about proposed mining activities heard by an independent court. The Mineral Resources and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 (Qld) (Bill) is now open for submissions. For decades, any interested person could object to a mining lease, […]
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The Basin Plan 2012 (Cth) and the Water Act 2007 (Cth) are part of a framework to protect Australia’s water resources. The Act and the Basin Plan are currently under review. These reviews are critical opportunities to improve water regulation in the Murray–Darling Basin and to ensure that important issues such as climate change and […]
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What’s at stake? The Gascoyne Gateway Marine Complex is a proposed deep-water port facility planned for the Exmouth Gulf, a globally significant environment connected to the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast. The area where the port would be constructed is a diverse habitat that includes corals, seagrass meadows and sponge gardens that support vulnerable dugongs, whales, […]
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The Safeguard Mechanism is Australia’s main policy designed to drive down domestic climate pollution from mining, manufacturing, transport, oil, gas and waste. The policy is poorly designed and not reducing emissions at the rate needed to help Australia do its part to limit the most harmful impacts of climate change. The Federal Government has released […]
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EDO principles for responsible data centre development Australia has an opportunity to get data centre development right. They’re the defining development of the decade and the decisions made today could inform environmental outcomes for a generation or more. Data centres can deliver economic and technological benefits, but those benefits should not come at the expense […]
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done right
EDO principles for work for First Nations peoples In 2026, EDO consulted with more than 60 First Nations leaders, organisations and community representatives to determine what best practice looks like when supporting First Nations communities. The message was clear. We must respect First Nations authority, build genuine relationships, prioritise cultural safety and be accountable. From […]
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For nine years, landholders, conservationists and regulators have been making guesses as to how they should be managing land across NSW. This week, certainty was provided when the NSW Government finalised the Native Vegetation Regulatory Map (NVR map), which clarifies how land should be protected or when it can be cleared. This was an important […]
Read More… from Critical NSW land clearing map finalised after nine-year wait
On 26 August 2026, Minister Burgoyne tabled the Environment Legislation Amendment (Safe Air) Bill 2026 (NT) (Safe Air Bill) to Parliament and referred the Safe Air Bill to the Legislative Scrutiny Committee (Committee). The Committee’s report is due by 7 October 2026. The Legislative Scrutiny Committee has called for public submissions by individuals or organisations by Monday 7 […]
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Environmental Defenders Office helps people who want to protect the environment through law. We provide free legal advice, represent brave clients in court and help design new laws for a world where nature thrives. […]
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Queensland’s proposed State Development Bill* would hand extraordinary and largely unchecked powers to the Minister for State Development and the Coordinator-General to fast-track assessment of any hand-picked development — powers that threaten community rights, First Nations interests, private property and the environment. It is EDO’s view that the Bill should not be passed and instead for government go back to the drawing board. A backdoor to rewriting Queensland’s laws Well beyond existing powers […]
Read More… from Queensland’s State Development Bill: a dangerous overreach that must not pass
