The recent Australian Federal election has resulted in a change of government. While the government is settling in, our Environment, Planning and Communities partners set out their top 5 predictions for coming change on environmental matters, and where the priorities should lie. Read more

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has consolidated 45 State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) and deemed SEPPs into 11 new environmental planning instruments. Read more

Directors and related bodies corporate that benefit from environmental offences committed by a corporation are subject to new liabilities and the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) now has stronger enforcement powers. Due to the changes, environmental compliance and risk management practices should be reviewed and updated as required to minimise risks for corporations, their directors … Read more

On 24 February 2022, the NSW Parliament passed a Bill to amend five key pieces of environmental legislation. The amendments are wide-ranging and will have significant impacts on the liability of directors and businesses for environmental offences. The amendments also strengthen the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s ability to hold offenders to account. Read more

On 11 February 2022, the Australian Minister for the Environment announced that the status of the koala would be upgraded from vulnerable to endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Read more

The United Nations Human Rights Council has recognised a universal human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. This may influence Australian courts and decision-makers. It is also relevant to how corporates understand their role in protecting human rights and contributing to sustainable economic activity. Read more

On 15 December 2021, the much anticipated Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2021 (WA) (the Bill) passed the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia as introduced. The Bill has been updated since the previously circulated Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Bill 2020 (WA) (Exposure Draft), and has been designed to replace the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972 … Read more

A further development in the multi-round match between the NSW EPA, a waste company and the resource recovery exemption regime: the EPA has appealed for a second time. The Land and Environment Court criticised the EPA and its waste regime in the long-running Grafil prosecution. Subsequently, the Government has announced a review of the regime … Read more