Australia’s parliament is preparing to debate crucial reforms to the nation’s primary environmental protection legislation – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act). However, early government signals suggest these long-awaited changes may fall short of addressing the country’s mounting biodiversity crisis, according to environmental law experts Atticus Fleming and Andrew Macintosh.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Scientists widely agree that Australia is experiencing catastrophic biodiversity decline, with native species and ecosystems under unprecedented pressure. The authors emphasize that the top priority for any meaningful reform must be implementing proper regulations on land-clearing activities to protect the country’s remaining native forests.

Originally passed by a conservative government, the EPBC Act represented a watershed moment in Australian environmental law. It marked the first time since federation that federal parliament used its full constitutional authority to regulate environmentally damaging activities across all land types – public and private alike. This comprehensive approach was considered groundbreaking at the time.

Yet despite this historic foundation, current biodiversity trends suggest the Act has not lived up to its potential. With parliament now considering updates to strengthen environmental protections, the question remains whether political will exists to implement the robust changes scientists say are necessary to reverse Australia’s ecological decline. The coming parliamentary debates will reveal whether Australia is ready to take serious action on its biodiversity emergency or if this reform effort will join previous attempts that promised much but delivered little meaningful change.