Recommendation 4

In the second tranche of reforms, the EPBC Act should be amended to deliver more effective environmental protection and management, accelerate achievement of the environmental outcomes and improve the efficiency of National Environmental Standards. Parts 3 to 10 of the Act should be completely overhauled to enable:

1. National Environmental Standards to evolve and be set in a way that delivers ecologically sustainable development, through the collective contributions of the actions, decisions, plans and policies of the Commonwealth and accredited parties.
2. A proactive focus on managing matters of national environmental significance. The Act should require that matters of national environmental significance be protected, conserved, recovered and enhanced.
3. All decisions to be targeted towards achieving the environmental outcomes set out in National Environmental Standards.
4. National Environmental Standards to be more efficiently applied to decision-making, including accredited arrangements.