National Environmental Law Reform

Working with some of Australia’s top legal minds, the EDO is helping to develop the next generation of Australian environmental laws.

These focus on environmental protection and sustainable development with transparency and accountability, rather than regulated destruction.

They establish new norms in the form of an environmental duty of care and a general duty to restore and rehabilitate harmed environments. They also consider as essential both the precautionary principle and the prevention principle. The Australian Panel of Experts on Environmental Law also proposes new independent watchdog institutions with clear roles and responsibilities.

EDO NSW is advocating for these new laws to be implemented across the country.

The report 'Next Generation - Biodiversity Laws. Best practice elements for a new Commonwealth Environment Act' was prepared for Humane Society International and published in June 2018. Read more and download the report.

• Our Policy and Law Reform Director Rachel Walmsley is a member of the Australian Panel of Experts on Environmental Law (APEEL).
• Next generation - Biodiversity Laws. Best practice Elements for a new Commonwealth Environment Act (June 2018)
• How can we make national environmental laws better? by Rachel Walmsley.
• When will Australia's environmental laws have their 'ball-tampering moment'? by David Morris
• The Better Laws for a Better Planet symposium took place in Canberra in March 2018. Rachel Walmsley and David Morris of EDO NSW were amongst the speakers.
• The Places You Love alliance is building a movement for the implementation of the next generation laws.
• Australia needs new nature laws - by Alexia Wellbelove of Humane Society International.
• Australia has 1,800 threatened species but has not listed critical habitat in 10 years
• 'The Franklin would be dammed today' - Australia's shrinking environmental protections
• 'Everything is made into a political issue' - Rethinking Australia's environmental laws
• Download "Planning for Climate Change: How the NSW planning system can better tackle greenhouse gas emissions"
• APEEL developed a Blueprint for the Next Generation of Australian Environmental Law (August 2017).