Over the past 20 years, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act has failed to protect the places, plants and animals we love.  

But right now, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to change that. 

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has just announced plans for a new national framework of environment laws. 

While we welcome some important commitments in her plans, there’s a long way to go to meet the scale of the environmental crises we’re facing. As environmental lawyers, we’re concerned this draft plan has some significant gaps and issues that could jeopardise the whole thing.   

If done right, these reforms could turn around Australia’s extinction crisis – and fix countless other threats to places, plants and animals all at the same time. 

Opportunities like this don’t come around often 

Minister Plibersek needs to know people right across this continent are calling on her to fix these laws – for all of the wonders of our natural world, for the animals and plants that shape our shared identity, for the world we can’t live without.