Act for Birds

Our laws need to work for nature.

Australia is in the grip of an extinction crisis. We desperately need to change the way we manage our natural systems to better protect our beloved birds, animals and plants. We know our current nature laws are not working.

But from today, Members of Parliament could be asked to vote on amendments that would weaken our national nature laws - the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act .While there is opposition, the Government only needs a few more votes to pass its proposal to remake the laws that are supposed to protect the birds ...

Our laws need to work for nature.

Australia is in the grip of an extinction crisis. We desperately need to change the way we manage our natural systems to better protect our beloved birds, animals and plants. We know our current nature laws are not working.

But from today, Members of Parliament could be asked to vote on amendments that would weaken our national nature laws - the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act .While there is opposition, the Government only needs a few more votes to pass its proposal to remake the laws that are supposed to protect the birds and places we all love.

We need to remind our elected representatives how important nature is to Australians and we expect our laws to genuinely protect and restore nature.

We have such a huge opportunity now to strengthen these laws that will give our environment, birds and animals the best chance – one they need more than ever after the 2019/20 summer bush fires.

You can make a difference now by writing to or calling your Coalition MP or Senator and telling them why nature is more important than ever to you, and all Australians.

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Strong Nature Laws need strong standards

Enter your address and details to email your local Federal MP, to ensure our Parliament delivers the strong nature laws we need.

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Subject:

I am writing to share my deep concern about the progress of the new Federal laws aimed at protecting our natural environment. While the bills to establish Environment Information Australia (EIA) and a new federal Environment Protection Agency (EPA) are a step in the right direction, they fall short of what's necessary to stop nature destruction and halt extinctions in Australia.

The establishment of an EPA is a welcome move, but it has been introduced without the essential national environmental standards that define what must be upheld. For the EPA to be effective, it must also be granted political independence.

Without robust upfront protections – such as legislating to prevent the destruction of critical habitats and implementing measures to support the recovery of threatened species—Australia's nature laws will remain inadequate, and nature destruction will continue. How can we expect an EPA to halt extinctions when the laws it enforces are fundamentally flawed?

Similarly, while the new EIA is a welcome initiative, the current proposal does not provide a rigorous framework to track the recovery of threatened species and understand clearly whether nature is improving. The EIA must include the definition of “nature positive” that aligns with Australia’s commitment on the global stage to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, to achieve a full recovery by 2050.

Establishing enforcement and information bodies without fixing our broken laws won’t work for nature. The Australian Parliament must finish the urgent job of nature law reform, with strong environmental standards. Until we do, Australia will continue to lead the world on extinctions.

I urge you, as my elected representatives, to support legislation that will properly fix our broken nature laws. We cannot afford to miss this once-in-a-generation opportunity to get it right. A piecemeal approach without strong environmental standards is not sufficient and could even leave nature worse off than before. Please advocate for a comprehensive package of nature law reforms this year.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

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