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flag Australia overhauls its environmental law to fast-track projects while strengthening protections, sparking both support and concern.

flag Australia has passed major reforms to its Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, aiming to speed up approvals for housing, renewables, and mining while strengthening environmental safeguards. flag The changes, backed by the Greens, modernize a 25-year-old law criticized for delays and inefficiency, with a focus on reducing red tape, improving science-based decision-making, and addressing cumulative environmental impacts. flag The reforms include new standards, enhanced Indigenous knowledge integration, and expanded regulator powers. flag While industry groups like the Property Council welcome the move for boosting housing supply and project certainty, concerns remain over potential ecological risks, exclusion of climate impacts in approvals, and the removal of Regional Forest Agreements, which could harm native forestry and jobs. flag The government also launched a $300 million forest growth fund and is consulting on a new forestry initiative to support sustainable supply chains.

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