Labor’s ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Environment Bill Introduced, New Protection Agency Slated

Despite Labor’s urgency, the Senate has extended its inquiry into the bill to March 2026, delaying any chance of passage this year.

Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt at the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia on Oct. 30, 2025. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

CANBERRA, Australia—The Albanese government’s long-awaited overhaul of Australia’s environment laws has finally returned to Parliament.

The Environment Protection Bill 2025, introduced by Minister Tony Burke, aims to replace the two-decade-old EPBC Act with a swathe of new changes, including forcing companies to disclose the estimated carbon emissions of a project.