The Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025, introduced to Parliament on October 30, sets out sweeping changes to environmental governance that could reshape how water and wastewater projects are assessed across Australia.
Five years after Professor Graeme Samuel’s review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the reform aims to fix a system long criticised for inefficiency and duplication.
Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt said the bill delivers a modern framework that is “better for the environment and better for business”.
“Every day we delay the passing of these laws we see the environment suffer and we see business and the community suffer,” Watt said.
What the bill means for utilities and project approvals
For utilities, councils, and developers, the bill’s Streamlined Assessment Pathway could significantly shorten approval timeframes for projects with complete environmental data at the outset.
New and updated bilateral agreements with states and territories will also remove duplication in environmental assessments — a long-standing obstacle for utilities delivering major pipelines, treatment plant upgrades, and desalination facilities.
The reforms introduce regional planning frameworks to identify lower-impact zones suitable for infrastructure development while protecting high-value ecological areas. This will help fast-track essential works in water-supply corridors and wastewater reuse projects.
“These reforms will improve consistency in environmental decision-making and provide greater certainty for the utilities sector,” Watt said.
Strengthened protection and accountability
The bill’s environmental protection measures include establishing Australia’s first National Environmental Protection Agency, a statutory body with authority to enforce compliance, audit approval holders, and issue stop-work orders where breaches occur.
The National EPA will operate independently from the Minister for the Environment, who retains responsibility for environmental approvals.
For water utilities, this structure means stronger oversight of construction and operational impacts on catchments, wetlands, and groundwater-dependent ecosystems.
The bill also introduces a new offsets regime that requires net environmental gain for developments, potentially reshaping how water utilities manage habitat restoration and biodiversity projects linked to infrastructure delivery.
Improving environmental data and national consistency
To support better decision-making, the bill will establish a Head of Environment Information Australia to oversee national environmental data and reporting.
Improved access to consistent, real-time data on ecosystems, emissions, and water resources will enhance coordination between federal, state, and local agencies.
The proposed National Environmental Standards will provide a uniform benchmark for assessments, aligning expectations for utilities and regulators alike. This consistency will assist water corporations navigating multiple planning frameworks, particularly for projects spanning catchments or state borders.
“The reforms offer a chance to modernise how we manage development and conservation,” Watt said. “This is about creating a system that protects the environment while supporting infrastructure that communities rely on.”