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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/22/companies-could-have-profits-from-breaking-environment-laws-stripped-under-australian-reforms>
"The Albanese government wants the power to strip companies of any financial
gains made from breaking environment laws, as part of a package of landmark
reforms to be put before parliament in the next two weeks.
In an interview with
Guardian Australia, the environment minister, Murray
Watt, also revealed he wants a definition of “unacceptable impact” to be part
of the nation’s new environment laws.
Watt said consultations with environment groups and industry had landed on the
need for a “clear, strong definition of an unacceptable impact”, which would
mean areas were protected and businesses wouldn’t “waste their time” in
pursuing projects that would never be approved.
He said several areas of contention on the laws – including how they deal with
climate change and on the exact role of a new independent environment watchdog
– were still to be finalised.
But he said he remained “optimistic” the laws would be passed before Christmas,
and was willing to make deals with the Coalition or the Greens – or both – to
make it happen.
Guardian Australia has reported that Watt has been privately encouraging
business groups to lobby the Coalition to support the legislation, sparking
concerns among environment groups that protections could be weakened.
On Tuesday, Watt said penalties for breaking environmental laws would be
increased under the proposed reforms, including a new rule “to strip offenders
of any financial advantage they gained from breaching environmental law”.
Penalties for significant breaches would be set at $1.6m for an individual, and
up to $825m for a business, while a new “civil penalty formula” would recoup
any income offenders gained by a breach.
A new EPA would also have the power to issue a “stop work order” to prevent
environmental harm, Watt will announce on Wednesday."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
