Environment Bulletin - October 2022

Australia – Creation of national biodiversity market announced

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has announced that it will develop legislation to establish a voluntary national biodiversity market. The proposed scheme would encourage projects that benefit the environment and allow landholders who restore or manage local habitat to be granted biodiversity certificates which can then be sold to other parties.

Read the Minister for the Environment and Water’s media release here.

New South Wales – Further single-use plastic exemptions announced

The NSW EPA has announced further exemptions from the next stage of plastic bans commencing on 1 November 2022. The exemptions apply to plastic single-use cotton buds and plastic single-use bowls that are not sold to the public, and will allow manufacturers, producers or wholesalers to continue supplying these items for medical, scientific or forensic purposes after the ban commencement date.

Read the Government Gazette here.

Western Australia – Proposed reforms to environmental regulation released

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation is seeking feedback on a discussion paper detailing proposed reforms to Schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection Regulations 1987, so that it regulates prescribed activities rather than prescribed premises. This involves a review of the type of activities that require regulation due to their emissions and discharges, as well as how they can best be regulated. The review also examines the current fee framework to ensure that it is appropriate.

Read The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s reform here..