New Bill – Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Streamlining Environmental Approvals) Bill 2020

WHO SHOULD READ THIS

• Local Government.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The Federal Government has introduced a bill that proposes a number of changes to the EPBC Act (focused especially on the operation of bilateral agreements in NSW). The Independent Review of the EPBC Act also remains ongoing and is expected to result in a raft of further changes to the Act.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

• Remain up to date on the status of the bill, as well as the final outcome of the Independent Review. We expect that the Independent Review may result in changes to the EPBC Act that will be relevant to the local government sector.

The Federal Government has introduced the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Streamlining Environmental Approvals) Bill 2020 (Bill) to streamline the environmental assessment process for development. Separately, the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) remains