2025-10-23
LABOR CAN’T LET BIG BUSINESS AND THE MINING COMPANIES WRITE OUR ENVIRONMENT LAWS
By Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
This week, our team got a first look at Labor’s new environment laws – which we expect will be tabled in the federal parliament when it returns to Canberra next week.
Like me, you know that our environmental laws need to actually protect our environment. They need to consider the impacts of pollution on the climate crisis seriously, protect our native forests and threatened species, and finally put nature above corporate interests.
Unfortunately, Labor’s proposal is desperately bad news for all of us who care about nature. It has the grubby finger prints of big business and the mining lobby all over it.
A deal for the mining industry, not nature
Rather than closing loopholes that give bulldozers and chainsaws free reign, this package is riddled with carve-outs to suit industry.
It fast tracks environmental destruction and does nothing to guarantee protection for the environment.
This bill has been drafted by Environment MInister Murray Watt with the interests of the mining industry front and centre. It actually weakens environmental protection –because it fastrack news mines and big projects but fails to guarantee the environment will be saved.
This is a step backwards backwards and is worse than the status quo.
What’s worse? Labor is preparing to rush their changes through parliament by stitching up a deal with the Liberals and Nationals.
It couldn’t be clearer: this is a government playing politics with our future.
A deal backed by the mining industry and the Liberals is not a deal for nature or our climate. It will instead lock another decade of coal, gas and environmental destruction into law.
And we’ve already seen the consequences when politics wins over science: ancient rock art damaged at Murujuga, koala habitat bulldozed, and Woodside under investigation while still being granted new licenses to pollute.
What’s next?
Here’s the thing about this pivotal moment: Labor has a choice.
We have been clear from the start that we need laws that protect our forests, wildlife and climate. Instead of cutting a deal with the Liberals that locks in another decade of destruction and delay, they can work with the Greens for real environment reform.
We will not rubber stamp laws that fail to do their job in protecting our environment.
We will fight for stronger protections that put nature first and ensure that climate damage is considered in decision making.
But we can’t do it alone. We need your help to hold Labor to account, expose these backroom deals, and protect the nature and places we all care about.
Let’s make sure Australia’s environment laws finally do what they’re meant to.
If you’re in a position where you can give to our climate campaign, now is the time. Every dollar helps us fight back: exposing the deals, funding campaigns, and giving people the tools to act.