Senate passes Economic Protection and Biodiversity Conservation "water trigger" Bill

Additional Commonwealth approvals triggers will soon apply to large coal mining and coal seam gas projects, following the passage of a Bill through the Federal Senate yesterday.

The Bill will amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) to include as a "matter of national environmental significance" an action involving coal seam gas development or large coal mining development that has, will have, or is likely to have a significant impact on a water resource. As a consequence, these actions will require approval under the EPBC Act once the changes commence.

We previously looked at the scope of the proposed water trigger in the Bill as introduced, how it would affect projects already undergoing assessment and the implications for CSG and coal mining.