Acting on advice from the author of a major review of the EPBC Act, the Northern Territory Government will rework and strengthen its environmental approvals regime.
Environment ministers have agreed to strengthen controls on particle pollution, speed up work on a national clean air agreement and establish a national standard for the environmental management of chemicals.
A Federal Government report, issued today, reveals plans to 'streamline' federal hazardous waste laws and to use mutual recognition arrangements to manage federal, state and territory threatened species lists.
Rehabilitating abandoned and shoddily-closed mines is likely to cost $1 billion, the Northern Territory Government estimates, prompting it to introduce a new levy on the mining industry.