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Murray-Darling Basin Plan Review open for comment

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is currently under review, with opportunities for members of the public to participate in consultation. See the review website here and below for more information.   What is the Murray-Darling Basin Plan?   The Murray-Darling Basin Plan (Basin Plan) is the national framework that attempts to share water in the Murray-Darling Basin and make sure there is enough for rivers and wetlands. It was created in 2012 after […]

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Extraordinary use of “national interest” exemption undermines the rule of law and public trust  

Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt’s decision to allow Alcoa to continue destroying Western Australia’s jarrah forest for another 18 months is a concerning extraordinary use of the “national interest” exemption under our federal environmental laws.   Minister Watt announced on Wednesday he had “granted a national‑interest exemption to Alcoa allowing for limited land clearing to continue its mining operations for a period of 18 […]

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Public appeals against Valhalla fracking plan close soon

The WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has recommended approval of the Valhalla Gas Exploration Appraisal Program, a major fracking project that could result in 20 exploration and appraisal wells being drilled in the Canning Basin in the state’s northwest.  The EPA’s report is open for a public appeal period, which closes on 10 February 2026.   This […]

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Greenwashing complaint lodged against Bunnings over timber supply claims

The Wilderness Society (TWS) has asked the national consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC), to investigate whether hardware giant Bunnings has made false or misleading environmental claims about the timber it sells.  TWS alleges in a letter to the ACCC prepared by EDO [1] that Bunnings may have made—and may be continuing to make—misleading and/or false representations to consumers about its timber […]

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Two National Environmental Standards now open for comment – Have your say! 

Strong National Environmental Standards are the backbone of a reformed EPBC Act, according to the recommendations from the latest independent review of Australia’s federal environment laws by Professor Graeme Samuel (Samuel Review).   Have Your Say on critical environmental protection requirements  The federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is accepting submissions on two draft Standards now until 5pm 30 January 2025.   […]

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EPBC Act reforms have passed! 10 next steps to ensure stronger federal environment laws

The reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) have now passed, with Royal Assent being given on 1 December 2025. But there is still significant work to do to ensure the new framework is as strong as possible: A suite of National Environmental Standards needs to be drafted, regulatory […]

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NSW planning law reforms pass into law 

The NSW Parliament has passed major changes to the state’s planning system, with significant amendments to the Environment Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and other legislation to take effect once commencement dates for the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Planning System Reforms) Act 2025 (Amendment Act) are proclaimed.   EDO is concerned the Amendment Act […]

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Historic law reforms provide foundation we can work with for nature 

The EPBC Act reforms passed by the ALP and Greens contain several very significant improvements and constitute a strong foundation upon which to build, according to the Environmental Defenders Office.  “The changes ushered through the parliament today are the most significant enhancements in federal environmental protections in more than a generation,” EDO Deputy Director Rachel […]

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Historic environment reforms: What happened in parliament and what comes next?

At the start of the final parliamentary sitting week for 2025, there were three options for national environmental law reform. As we said to the inquiry hearing in Canberra:   “This parliament could fail to pass legislation and leave us with the failed Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) for another five or 10 […]

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Authorised by Joanna Shulman, Environmental Defenders Office Ltd, Suite 8.02 Level 8, 6 O’Connell St, Sydney NSW 2000 • ABN: 72 002 880 864

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EDO recognises the traditional owners and custodians of the land, seas and rivers of Australia. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders past and present, and aspire to learn from traditional knowledge and customs so that, together, we can protect our environment and cultural heritage through law.