The Albanese Government is trying to change the federal environment laws.

The Environment Protection Reform Bills 2025 have been referred to the Senate Environment and Communications Committee.

The Committee is accepting submissions about these proposed laws and you can have your say.

Why your voice matters

The proposed laws make changes to the existing federal laws that have been in place for 25 years and do not protect our environment.

The proposed changes:

1. Allow large-scale deforestation to continue
2. Expand the powers to issue permits for wildlife trade
3. Give the federal environment minister unprecedented power to decide how and when to apply the laws.

The environment is the life support system for planet earth and without proper laws and regulations the planet will be irreversibly damaged and animals will be killed.

How to Make a Submission

Step 1: Write your submission (see our helpful tips and points to consider below)

Step 2: Upload it to the parliament website here: Lodge my submission – Parliament of Australia

Deadline: 5 December, 2025

You can also email your submission to:

1. Minister for Environment, Senator Murray Watt at [email protected]

2. Senators from your state. You can find their details here Contacting Senators and Members – Parliament of Australia

Tips For Making a Submission 

You can structure your submission like this:

• Introduction – Who you are and why you care about native animals
• Your concerns – Explain what concerns you about the current system
• What you want to see changed – Use some of the key points below
• Closing – Thank the Committee and restate your position

Parliamentary submissions are treated as formal evidence, so clear, well-reasoned responses carry real weight. But your values and compassion matter too, heartfelt, respectful statements can still make a powerful impact.

You should:

• Keep your submission short and clear.
• Use your own words. Unique submissions carry more weight than copy-paste messages.
• Be respectful but firm. Focus on evidence and solutions. Avoid personal attacks and focus on systemic change.
• Cite credible sources.

Points to Consider When Writing Your Submission

Remember is it best to use your own words as much as possible.

• These laws have been introduced to try and address the recommendations from the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 undertaken by Professor Graeme Samuel AC (known as the Samuel Report).   Many of the recommendations made in the Samuel Report have not been included in the proposed laws.  You can access the report here - Second Independent Review of the EPBC Act - DCCEEW
  
• Animal agriculture is overwhelmingly the largest cause of land clearing across Australia. For example, in Queensland, 93% of cleared land is used for pasture. Other significant drivers (within the remaining 7 percent) are urban development, forestry and mining.
  
• Environmentally, land clearing destroys viable habitat for vulnerable and at-risk animal populations. Clearing also increases soil salinity and is a primary cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Soil erosion from land clearing detrimentally affects waterways and oceans; threatening the Great Barrier Reef especially.
  
• Land clearing not just as a biodiversity and climate change issue, but also as an animal rights and welfare issue. Every year millions of animals die from the destruction of habitat. Animals are injured and die during tree felling with many more dying afterwards from exposure; dehydration; starvation; increased predation; and traffic. Even if they don’t die, animals who are displaced will end up pushed into an unsuitable or reduced area.
  
  

The proposed laws:

• Keep exemptions that allow large-scale agricultural deforestation to continue. 
  • The exemptions for “prior authorisations” and “continuations of use” remain. These have been used to avoid scrutiny for activities such as broadscale land clearing and shark nets.
  • “Prior authorisations” refers to activities that had a permit or approval before the EPBC Act was enacted in 2000.
  • “continuations of use”: allows ongoing activities, such as land clearing, to continue if they were legal and in use immediately before the Act came into force.  
  • These exemptions weaken protection of threatened species already pushed towards extinction by land clearing.
    
• Miss the opportunity to ensure all significant land clearing and forestry activities are regulated under Commonwealth law.
  
• Do not require  assessment of cumulative impacts from clearing and there is no mandatory test that land clearing must avoid unacceptable impacts before approval.
  
• Do not require the government to assess or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from proposed projects.
  
• Do not require disclosure of scope 3 emissions, which are typically the most significant emissions from fossil fuel projects.
  
• The Minister does not need to consider emissions information when granting approvals.

Want More Detail?

You may want to review these AJP policies for more information:

• Animal Agriculture
• Aquaculture
• Climate Change
• Environmental Law
• Forestry
• Land Clearing