Unesco urged to oppose 'alarming' changes to Australian environment laws

Conservation groups warn Australia's natural world heritage sites are under more pressure than ever before'

Australian conservation groups have written to the UN's peak environmental heritage body urging it to oppose the Coalition's bid to devolve the approval process for projects to state and territory governments.

In a letter to the director general of Unesco, the 13 groups warn of the alarming moves ... to weaken legal protection for Australia's 20 world heritage listed properties" through changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.