The interim review of the EPBC Act is a straight-talking critique that identified major weaknesses in the Act and proposes promising remedies.
Our submission is a response to that review and includes recommendations for the final report.
And while we applaud the interim review’s identification of major weaknesses in the EPBC Act, we are concerned that it is silent on the current threat abatement system. It would be a major mistake to abandon this existing process, which instead should be retained, and strengthened as a central element of a more flexible and powerful threat abatement system.
The final report should also address in detail other vital aspects of threat abatement – particularly the arrangements between federal, state and territory governments to fund and implement threat abatement. Otherwise, the system designed to protect Australian biodiversity will continue to fail.