Peter Burnett

2 weeks ago | sustainabilitybites.com | Peter Burnett |David Salt

Peter Burnett, Australian National UniversityAustralia’s new environment minister, Murray Watt, is reported to be a fixer. That’s good, because there’s a lot to fix. Being environment minister is a hard gig. It often requires difficult choices between environmental and economic priorities. In cabinet, the minister is often up against a phalanx of ministers with economic portfolios and overriding political imperatives such as jobs and growth.

Feb 11, 2025 | sustainabilitybites.com | Peter Burnett |David Salt

Peter Burnett, Australian National University; Euan Ritchie, Deakin University, and Jaana Dielenberg, Charles Darwin UniversityPrime Minister Anthony Albanese has shelved the proposed reforms to Australia’s 25-year-old environment laws, citing a lack of parliamentary support for the changes. The decision breaks Labor’s 2022 election commitment to overhaul the protections.

Feb 3, 2025 | theconversation.com | Peter Burnett |Euan Ritchie |Jaana Dielenberg

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has shelved the proposed reforms to Australia’s 25-year-old environment laws, citing a lack of parliamentary support for the changes. The decision breaks Labor’s 2022 election commitment to overhaul the protections. The Albanese government is now the latest in a string of governments that have tried and failed to reform the law known formally as the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

Aug 27, 2024 | sustainabilitybites.com | Peter Burnett |David Salt

In a separate article with colleagues from the Biodiversity Council, I have argued for substantive changes to the government’s draft Nature Positive reforms, currently in the Senate. Here, I look at the politics of a possible Senate deal on those reforms.

Aug 19, 2024 | phys.org | Peter Burnett |Brendan A. Wintle |Jaana Dielenberg |Martine Maron

The Albanese government's environmental reforms are likely to feature prominently on federal parliament's agenda this week. A Senate inquiry into the long-awaited reforms is due to deliver its findings on Monday. Meanwhile, the Coalition is reportedly preparing to oppose the changes, potentially forcing Labor into negotiations with the Greens.