The Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 (Qld) (EPOLA Bill) was passed yesterday. The EPOLA Bill amends the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld) with wide ranging implications for Queensland operators, in particular for the resources sector. It also makes minor amendments to the Waste Reduction and recycling Act 2011 (Qld) and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Protection and Management Act 1993 (Qld). Read more

The NSW election on 25 March has resulted in a change of government. A Chris Minns-led Labor team will form a government with an interim Ministry sworn in on Tuesday, 28 March 2023. While we wait for the final counts to come in, we look at what the change of government might mean for energy, climate change and the environment in NSW. Read more

On 4 March 2023, the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (Conference) reached agreement on the text of a new treaty which seeks to protect the marine environment. The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological … Read more

The 2023 Federal Budget has promised increased funding and programs supporting climate and environmental initiatives. Snapshot This is the first Federal Budget since the Government committed Australia to a 43% emissions reduction target by 2030 and net zero by 2050 and the release of the State of the Environment Report.  The Budget contains key funding … Read more

On 23 September 2022, the Australian and New Zealand Heads of Environment Protection Authorities released the draft PFAS NEMP 3.0 for public consultation with submissions due by 4pm on 20 December 2022. Read more

Going into the recent Federal election, the Australian Labor Party committed to establishing an independent Environment Protection Agency and providing a full response to the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). With the new Ministry now sworn in, we look at what changes these commitments might bring. Read more

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

There have been a number of recent developments in the plastics and product stewardship space. Most recently, the Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 (NSW) (PRCE Act) was passed by New South Wales parliament. How do these developments stack up and do they go far enough in curbing plastic waste and pollution? Read more