Biodiversity is in catastrophic decline. Here are three ways to ensure Australia’s conservation law actually works | Atticus Fleming and Andrew Macintosh

<p>The highest priority must be to ensure land-clearing is properly regulated to save our native forests</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/10/sign-up-for-the-clear-air-australia-environment-newsletter-with-adam-morton?CMP=cvau_sfl">Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here</a></p></li></ul><p>Australia’s parliament will soon consider <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/26/minister-to-retain-final-say-on-controversial-projects-under-labors-long-awaited-nature-laws">proposed reforms to federal environmental laws</a> – known as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Unfortunately, signals from the government suggest this may be another reform process that fails to deliver the progress we need – despite everyone agreeing that Australia’s biodiversity is in catastrophic decline.</p><p>When introduced, the EPBC Act was a historic reform by a conservative government. For the first time since federation, the Australian parliament exercised its full suite of constitutional powers to regulate environmentally harmful actions on all tenures.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/10/sign-up-for-the-clear-air-australia-environment-newsletter-with-adam-morton?CMP=copyembed">Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s Clear Air column as a free newsletter</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/28/australia-conservation-law-biodiversity-decline">Continue reading...</a>