Australia’s mining and clean energy industries have given a mixed reception to the federal government’s proposed overhaul of national environmental laws, with both sectors calling for practical implementation to avoid stifling investment while improving protection for nature.

The Albanese government on Thursday released draft reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), aimed at modernising environmental regulation and streamlining project approvals.

Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) CEO Tania Constable said the industry supported the goal of strengthening environmental outcomes, but warned that as drafted, the reforms risked creating more uncertainty and delay.

“These reforms need to set Australia up for success to ensure we achieve environmental, social and economic gains,” Constable said. “While the industry is working productively with the government, the environmental law reforms introduced today will require amendments to deliver on these aims.”

Constable cautioned that lengthy and unpredictable assessment processes had already affected productivity and Australia’s ability to capitalise on its world-class mining sector. She said the new framework must avoid “simply creating additional requirements to navigate without commensurate improvements".

Among the MCA’s key concerns are broad new legal tests – including the concept of “unacceptable impacts” – that could capture routine activities. Constable said while miners supported independent compliance and enforcement, “the rules surrounding new powers must provide certainty and due process. The new EPA must act in line with government expectations.”

The MCA also reiterated its support for accrediting state and territory approval systems, a measure identified in Professor Graeme Samuel’s review of the EPBC Act as critical to reducing duplication.

“This is a large and complex package and the MCA urges government to take the time necessary to get the settings right. Laws are hard to change and mistakes made today will have a decades-long impact on investment and the environment, affecting all Australians," Constable said.

The Clean Energy Council (CEC), representing Australia’s renewable-energy sector, struck a more positive tone, describing the reforms as a “timely and balanced step” toward both environmental protection and energy transition goals.

CEC CEO Jackie Trad said the reform package was “pragmatic and thorough", offering greater clarity for the rollout of clean energy projects.

“The EPBC Act is in major need of an overhaul. This reform package strengthens environmental outcomes and ensures we can continue to deliver the electricity Australia relies on as coal-fired power stations exit the system,” Trad said.

Trad welcomed proposed changes to environmental offset rules, saying they would allow renewables developers to redirect “billions of dollars – that would otherwise be spent on purchasing additional land for offset agreements – into regional communities.”

“These funds could go towards on-the-ground environmental work such as pest eradication, invasive species programmes, feral pig control, and fire ant mitigation,” she said, adding that the reforms “deliver tangible benefits for regional landholders and communities”.

She said clearer guidance and more consistent national rules would speed up approvals “without compromising rigorous environmental standards”.

“Accountability, oversight and strong regulation are at the heart of these reforms,” Trad said. “They are a step in the right direction … providing the certainty and confidence to continue delivering renewable-energy projects that power Australian homes and businesses, while safeguarding the environment for generations to come.”

“This is not a zero-sum game - we can and are delivering legislation that is better for the environment, and better for business. Every day we delay the passing of these laws we see the environment suffer and we see business and the community suffer," commented Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt.

“It’s now up to the Parliament to decide whether or not to support these important reforms, or team up to keep the broken laws we have now, which aren’t protecting the environment and are stifling business and investment.”