Nature Conservation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Plain English Summary
Overview
This bill confirms that Queensland government electronic systems can legally be used to automatically issue routine environmental and wildlife permits. It retrospectively validates permits that were automatically issued since 2017 and fixes an enforcement gap created by recent legislative changes to the Environmental Protection Act.
Who it affects
Wildlife permit holders and standard environmental authority holders gain certainty that their automatically issued permits are legally valid. Environmental regulators retain their full suite of enforcement tools.
Key changes
- Establishes clear legal authority for electronic systems to automatically issue low-risk wildlife and environmental permits
- Retrospectively validates all permits automatically issued since 2017 under the Nature Conservation Act and Environmental Protection Act
- Confirms penalty infringement notices can still be issued for non-compliance with environmental protection orders, direction notices and clean-up notices issued before the 2024 legislative changes
- Excludes mining lease environmental authority applications from automatic approval — these still require manual assessment with public notification
- Requires the chief executive to approve any electronic system used for automatic permit issuing and ensure it complies with the law
Bill Story
The journey of this bill through Parliament, including debate and recorded votes.
▸Committee12 Mar 2025View Hansard
Referred to Health, Environment and Innovation Committee
5 members · Chair: Robert Molhoek
The Health, Environment and Innovation Committee examined the bill and recommended it be passed. The bill amends the Environmental Protection Act 1994 to establish contemporary enabling provisions for the automatic issuing of low-risk environmental authorities through electronic systems, and retrospectively validates authorities previously issued automatically. The Queensland Conservation Council raised concerns about reduced transparency in environmental authority conditions.
Key findings (4)
- A key objective is ensuring low-risk environmental authorities can continue to be issued automatically through electronic systems in a way that satisfies administrative law principles
- The bill retrospectively establishes the validity of authorities previously issued automatically under the Environmental Protection Act
- The Queensland Conservation Council raised concerns that the changes reduce transparency by replacing explicit conditions in environmental authorities with deemed compliance provisions
- The department responded that the restructured provisions ensure consistency with other deemed condition provisions in the Act
Recommendations (1)
- The committee recommends that the Bill be passed.
Committee report tabled
▸Second Reading28 Aug 2025View Hansard
▸10 members spoke7 support3 mixed
As the minister introducing the bill, Powell outlined its purpose to formalise electronic systems for low-risk environmental authorities and thanked all members for bipartisan support. In reply, he defended the bill against criticism that it lacked ambition and highlighted the government's broader environmental agenda.
“The Crisafulli government's intention with this bill is crystal clear: we want Queenslanders to enjoy our incredible natural environment and go about their business and their daily lives without government processes making those lives more difficult.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Announced the Labor opposition would not oppose or amend the bill, accepting its operational and clarifying nature. However, extensively criticised the bill as empty of vision and a missed opportunity, arguing the government has no meaningful environmental agenda.
“The reason we will not be opposing or seeking to amend the bill before us is that these amendments are straightforward, operational, clarifying and sensible and will make the job of departmental officers easier without sacrificing environmental or community protections, and the opposition will not oppose just for the sake of opposing.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Supported the bill as a necessary modernisation after a decade of Labor inaction, highlighting its role in streamlining day-to-day transactions like camping permits and national park access through electronic systems.
“All we are simply doing, after 10 years of Labor doing nothing, is saying that maybe we should embrace the internet—the interweb. Maybe we should be allowing electronic devices and allowing people access to our national parks and other natural environment in a far simpler, more streamlined and more cost-effective way.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Stated he supports the bill but criticised it as a waste of parliamentary resources, comparing it to 'a bill about nothing' that could have been bundled into an omnibus bill. Argued it demonstrates the government's lack of an environmental agenda.
“Having said that, I support the Nature Conservation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill and I would like to thank all three submitters to this bill.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Supported the bill as commonsense and forward-thinking legislation that removes unnecessary red tape for wildlife carers, educators and community conservation groups, while allowing the department to focus resources on high-risk conservation issues.
“Let me be clear: this bill does not weaken environmental protections; rather, it strengthens them by ensuring our regulatory systems are fit for purpose in the modern era.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Provided a detailed technical explanation of the bill's amendments as a committee member, covering both the Nature Conservation Act and Environmental Protection Act provisions. Commended the bill without expressing criticism.
“In summary, this bill will modernise the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Environmental Protection Act to allow for electronic systems to continue to be used by DETSI for automatically issuing selective authorities.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Supported the bill as giving practical expression to better environmental outcomes, providing a detailed clause-by-clause analysis of the amendments to both the Environmental Protection Act and the Nature Conservation Act.
“This bill gives practical expression to the sentiment earlier endorsed by the Queensland Conservation Council. This bill will assist in achieving better outcomes for Queensland's environment.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Stated the opposition supports the bill because environmental laws are only as strong as their enforcement, but argued it is a thin, technical bill that exposes the government's lack of a substantial environmental or legislative agenda.
“That is why the opposition supports the bill: because environmental laws are only as strong as their enforcement. We support better enforcement.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Supported the bill for its impact on Far North Queensland tourism operators, families and pet owners, highlighting local businesses like FNQ Nature Tours and Billy Tea Safaris that struggled with permit delays and red tape under the previous government.
“We will continue to reduce the red tape, the green tape and the gaffer tape that is strangling small businesses, especially those in ecotourism.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Spoke in support of the bill while carefully noting the need for robust oversight of automated decision-making, referencing the Queensland Conservation Council's concerns and the robodebt scandal as a cautionary tale. Concluded by stating the opposition supports the bill's passing.
“The opposition supports the passing of this bill.”— 2025-08-28View Hansard
Assent date: 4 September 2025