Coalition to allow some projects, including mining, to bypass federal environmental approvals
by Lisa Cox and Adam Morton from on (#5X3MW)
Conservationists warn using workaround to speed up decisions will lead to worse outcomes
The Morrison government has announced it will remove the need for developments in some areas to receive project-specific approval under national environment laws, in a step conservationists fear will further weaken nature protection.
Guardian Australia revealed last month that the government was considering using a little-used section of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to allow some developments to be given the green light as part of a regional plan without consideration of the impact of the project itself.
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