Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and Reserve Bank governor Michelle Bullock

SPEEDING up the development of new Federal environmental laws was one of the main recommendations from this week’s productivity roundtable in Canberra.

The meeting was held behind-closed-doors this week with the Government saying the group of business leaders, unions, environmental groups and the National Farmers’ Federation reached “consensus” on 10 key topics.

Much of the topics revolved around cutting red tape, housing and tax reform, with Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers also pointing out a series of “nuisance tariffs” that he would like to see abolished.

While abolishing tariffs could have an impact on farm machinery, one of the more curious resolutions for agriculture was speeding up an overhaul of the Federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

“The next one is to accelerate the EPBC legislation that Murray Watt is doing a power of work on, some great work that Murray is doing,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.

“We have asked him to accelerate that in line with the principles of the Samuel review, ‘stronger standards, faster approvals, more transparency and integrity’.”

Some have questioned how adding more environmental laws fits into the “productivity” box and how it cuts red tape – particularly with extensive enforcement of laws at a state level.

The overhaul of the EPBC act is being spearheaded by former agriculture minister and now environmental minister Murray Watt, who has been holding consultation sessions since the election earlier this year.

Minister Watt’s process has already drawn some criticism from the agricultural industry, with concerns about his cosy relationship with environmental lobby groups and some of the early meetings not having representatives from agriculture.

The National Farmers’ Federation has since been involved in meetings with the minister, with president David Jochinke in June saying:

“We support sensible reform grounded in the Samuel and Craik reviews, and we welcome the Minister’s willingness to work with us on biodiversity offsets. This is a chance to get the balance right.

“There’s broad agreement on the need for national standards, regional planning and certainty, but the detail will matter.”

The Australian Conservation Foundation has also been close to the minister and was involved in this week’s roundtable. The ACF has ramped up its rhetoric about environmental laws in recent times, with a fundraiser currently out saying:

“Koala habitat is being flattened by off-the-books bulldozing because nature-wreckers know they can get away with it,” the advertisement said.

“Australia’s nature laws have been barely enforced for decades. Communities are too easily brushed off when they raise the alarm about destruction in our bush.”

Minister Watt is expected to speak about the EPBC review shortly.

• The read the Samuel review click here.