The first thing a friend of the blog has pointed out in relation to the government’s environment bill is:

Strategic assessments

Page 6 of the EM talks about how it will “amend the provisions of the EPBC Act relating to strategic assessments that have frustrated the making and operation of landscape assessments and approvals”.

The amendments include “requiring the Minister to obtain and consider advice from the Independent Expert Scientific Committee when deciding whether to approve a class of actions involving unconventional gas or large coal mining developments”.