will push the government to spend as much as $2 billion more a year on conservation if he is to support a major shake-up of environmental protection laws proposed by Labor.
“Project proponents will need to first demonstrate attempts to avoid and mitigate harm to protected matters before resorting to environmental offsets,” the plan says. “We are one of a handful of megadiverse countries, but we have done a terrible job of protecting the habitats and biodiversity that make Australia so spectacular and unique,” the ACT independent said.
Senator Pocock has expressed concern about plans for major environmental offsets to be achieved through the new cash payments rules, as opposed to strict like-for-like rules. Ms McCulloch said APPEA and developers would closely look at detail related to the plan, but measures designed to reduce delays and provide greater certainty for project proponents were welcome.