With the federal election looming, the Greens have made a major play to secure greater investment in environmental protection, calling for at least 1 percent of the federal budget to be dedicated to safeguarding Australia’s biodiversity.
This would double the current taxpayer spend on nature-related initiatives.
According to the Parliamentary Budget Office, total government spending in the 2025/26 federal budget is projected to exceed $785 billion.
Under the Greens’ plan, environmental funding would rise to $7.8 billion for 2025/26, with an additional $17 billion in investment over the forward estimates.
“The decades of government subsidies for nature destruction, chronic underfunding of environmental initiatives, and broken environmental laws have left many of our iconic species on the brink of extinction,” the Greens stated.
Radical Overhaul of Regulation
The Greens’ policy package includes an end to native forest logging, closing loopholes, and imposing a moratorium on clearing koala habitats.
It also proposes a climate trigger to ensure new mines and developments are assessed for their environmental impact.
To back up these regulatory changes, the plan includes a $20 billion biodiversity restoration fund over the next decade, with investments in threatened species recovery, waterway rehabilitation, and invasive species management.
Additionally, a $5 billion Protected Areas Fund would be used to purchase and manage high-biodiversity areas, including securing World Heritage status for the Great Australian Bight.
A key structural reform in the Greens’ proposal is the establishment of a Land and Sea Country Commissioner, a First Nations-led independent authority to oversee the protection and management of Australia’s environment and its interconnected Indigenous cultural heritage.
Labor, Greens Continue to Lock Horns
At the official policy launch in Cleland Wildlife Park, former Greens leader Bob Brown joined Adam Bandt and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young in denouncing the Albanese government’s environmental record.“Labor has broken its promises to protect the environment. They vowed to strengthen environmental protections, yet here we are at the end of their first term with weaker safeguards than before the last election,” Bandt declared.
The Greens fiercely opposed a new Labor-backed bill, which prevents the environment minister from reconsidering existing approvals for long-standing projects.
The legislation, supported by both major parties, aims to shield industries operating for over five years from regulatory reversals.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek defended the move, stating that it was “a very specific amendment that will apply in very limited circumstances.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the sentiment, emphasising Labor’s commitment to job security in Tasmania’s salmon industry.
Prior to this, the Greens were in uproar over the failure of the Nature Positive Laws.
This legislation, designed to empower the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to oversee project approvals and environmental assessments, faced resistance from WA Premier Roger Cook and sections of the mining industry.
The federal government’s decision to shelve the bill was seen as a strategic move to avoid alienating Western Australia’s minning industry ahead of the election.
Greens’ Deal-Breakers for Power Sharing
Should the election result in a hung parliament, the Greens have signaled a willingness to negotiate, but with firm demands.“We’ll go in with strong principles and an open mind,” Bandt said. “Last time we had a minority government in 2010, we pushed for and secured dental care under Medicare for kids, benefiting over 3 million families. This time, we want Medicare to cover dental for everyone.”
Housing affordability, rent caps, and stronger environmental protections are also high on the Greens’ list of priorities.
“We need real action to make housing genuinely affordable again, to cap rent increases, and to give renters and first-home buyers a fair go,” Bandt said.
Labor has indicated it would not enter into negotiations with the Greens.
“I don’t negotiate with the Greens, my campaign team in Grayndler is about campaigning against the Greens and I’m very confident that we will be successful,” Albanese said.
