Australia – Emissions reduction – Bill to improve ACCU, NGER and NVES schemes introduced
The Australian Government has introduced a Bill to Parliament that proposes improvements to three emissions reduction schemes. The proposed changes would strengthen the integrity, transparency, governance and administration of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme, National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Scheme, and the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).
View the bill here and read the Australian Government’s press release here.
Western Australia – Planning – New mandatory significant development pathway for renewable energy proposals to commence in October
The Western Australian Planning Commission has announced that from 5 October 2026, proposals for certain major renewable energy-related facilities valued at $20 million or more will be classified as mandatory significant development. These proposals will no longer be able to be determined by a Development Assessment Panel or local government and will from that date be determined by the Western Australian Planning Commission. The changes will be introduced through the Planning and Development (Significant Development) Amendment Regulations 2026, which has been released to provide context for the Draft Renewable Energy Planning Code consultation.
Queensland – Resources – Terms of Reference for Financial Provisioning Scheme review released
The QLD Government has released the Terms of Reference for its review of the state’s Financial Provisioning Scheme under the Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) Act 2018. The review will examine the effectiveness of the scheme in managing financial risk and supporting rehabilitation outcomes by resources companies, while also ensuring that the needs of the state’s evolving resources sector continue to be met. Stakeholder consultation will commence in September 2026, with the final report to be considered by Government in 2027.
Read more about the Review of Queensland’s Financial Provisioning Scheme.