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NATIONAL

The Minerals Council of Australia has proposed a pilot program to incorporate AI into EPBC assessment processes.

"This would support pre-lodgement checks, risk triage, geospatial analysis and document review while keeping final decisions firmly with human regulators," MCA chief executive Tania Constable told a parliamentary inquiry into productivity.

"A $30 million three-year investment could deliver early capability within weeks and generate around $1.1 billion in economy-wide benefits in the first year alone by restoring approval times to earlier levels," Constable said.

Queensland agricultural lobby group AgForce has claimed that last year's EPBC reforms are likely to impose an "ongoing cost of compliance" for the state's agriculture sector of $3.5 billion annually.

 This will have "severe consequences for future productivity, investment clarity, sustainability outcomes and the viability of agriculture moving forward", AgForce EPBC lead Josefine Petersson told a federal Senate inquiry into productivity.

The claim is based on "indicative" case studies apparently done in-house by AgForce, with the organisation's submission to the inquiry concluding the reforms "will impose a cataclysmic economic burden on routine agricultural production".

National Farmers Federation chief executive Guy Nicol told the same inquiry he had similar concerns to AgForce.

In contrast to AgForce, Ken Henry and a colleague from the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation highlighted the potential benefits of the EPBC reforms to farmers and the general economy, in his evidence to the committee.

Ken Henry, a former head of Treasury, stressed the need to expand the supply of Australian Carbon Credit Units, from activities such as environmental plantings, which he noted would depend on a significant increase in the price of ACCUs.

He also noted the important role of the new EPBC office of Restoration Contributions Holder, which he said could "underwrite the development of markets in biodiversity credits".

A climate and environment department representative giving evidence in the same hearing said an impact analysis for the legislative reforms "gives a range of economy-wide savings of between $0.5 billion and $7 billion", largely due to improvements through the streamlined pathway.

Environment Minister Murray Watt has released consultation papers on settings to support the establishment of Australia's first National Environmental Protection Agency, which will launch on 1 July.

One paper deals with matters including new audit arrangements and transparency. A related paper deals with Protection Statements, and the definition of unacceptable impacts.

Another paper deals with reducing duplication, and includes a section on greenhouse gas emissions reporting.

Minister Watt has also released an exposure draft of the EPBC National Environmental Standard for Environmental Offsets.

DCCEEW has released draft legislation to reform the Australian Carbon Credit Unit scheme.

The Bill strengthens the consent framework for projects affecting Native Title land, and introduces measures to bolster ACCU scheme integrity.

Law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has issued a briefing paper on the proposed changes.

Australia and Fiji have ratified a Treaty to establish a Pacific Resilience Facility.

Tonga, Nauru, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, New Zealand and Niue have already ratified the Treaty.

The PRF will provide grants for climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, and projects that respond to loss and damage.

An international meeting in October ahead of COP31, to be hosted by Fiji and Tuvalu, will provide a platform for international pledges to the PRF.

Treasury is consulting on potential changes to the regulation of super funds that could make it easier for them to invest in large renewable energy projects.

Australia's super funds manage about $4.5 trillion in retirement savings.

A meeting of energy and climate ministers has agreed - except for Queensland - to develop a legislative package to implement the Electricity Services Entry Mechanism (ESEM) and Market Making Obligation (see explainer here).

The measures were recommended in Tim Nelson's review of wholesale market settings in the National Electricity Market.

Ministers noted the ESEM Administrator could also manage contracts under Victoria's offshore wind auctions, South Australia's Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism, and NSW's Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.

A working group has also been established to design the first ESEM contracts.

Ministers - again except for Queensland - agreed that data centres should invest in additional renewable generation and firming in their state of operation to fully offset their electricity demand and provide demand flexibility services.

The federal government has launched a $3 million Green Sheep Project that is designed to help sheep producers increase, measure and manage their environmental sustainability.

The project is being funded by the federal government and will be led by Sheep Producers Australia. Pilot projects will be rolling out in Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia shortly.

Sheep Producers Australia chief executive Bonnie Skinner said the project as "an investment in the long-term success of our industry". 

 "Producers are increasingly being asked to provide evidence around sustainability and natural capital outcomes, and this project is about making sure the sheep industry is prepared and producers are supported."

DCCEEW has launched its Developer Rating Scheme for renewable energy developers and transmission companies. The scheme aims to establish a register of trustworthy renewable energy businesses.

Developers and transmission companies that opt in will be rated by scheme administrator Equifax, based on:

• the quality and timing of their engagement with landholders, neighbours, First Nations, and local councils.
• their integrity, ethics, and track record.
• their history on regulatory compliance, payment and safety.
• their operational strength and resources.
• their technical expertise, risk management, and quality systems.
• their financial viability and access to sustainable funding.
• their oversight of contractors and supply chain partners.

DCCEEW has published a video clip featuring Sally Higgins, Australia's Youth Climate Champion for COP31.

QUEENSLAND

The federal Net Zero Economy Authority is conducting a supply chain mapping Project that will profile Central Queensland businesses capable of supporting renewable energy and industrial decarbonisation projects in the region.

The project is being undertaken in partnership with Acclimate Partners.

NSW

Statutory development - renewables. NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully has introduced a Prioritising Renewable Energy Bill.

The Bill creates a framework for identifying Priority Energy Projects (PEPs), which can either be individual projects, or classes of projects.

It also amends the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act so that development containing a priority energy project can be treated as State significant.

"This once-in-a-generation, fleeting opportunity to transition our grid for many generations to come means we must be smarter about how we progress energy projects through the regulatory system," Planning Minister Paul Scully said.

"From the date the bill receives Royal Assent, the message is clear. The quality and scale of a project's contribution to our energy security, generation and storage - not the day the paperwork was filed -will determine its priority in the system."

"We are prioritising the projects that will do the heavy lifting for NSW," he said.

The Minister added that changes would be made to the Planning Systems State Environmental Planning Policy, "to rationalise and streamline" triggers for determining whether renewables projects go to the Independent Planning Commission.

"Under current thresholds, the Independent Planning Commission has unintentionally become the default decision-maker for most renewable energy projects, adding around 84 days to solar assessments and 340 days to wind projects," he said.

The Bill also gives stronger legislative force to benefit-sharing guidelines for renewable energy projects.

"In the three years since March 2023, the government has approved 10.2GW of renewable energy generation and 33.3GWh of renewable energy storage," Scully said.

"That represents more than $37 billion in investment across the state and more than 14,000 jobs during construction."

Minister Scully criticised the Opposition, saying it was backing down on renewables to chase One Nation votes and preferences.

The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal has released a draft report on the performance of the state's biodiversity credits market.

The report notes that the state government has made many changes to the biodiversity offsets scheme, and more are underway.

IPART has monitored the credits market annually for three years. It says that over this time it has observed a steady growth in the number and type of credits generated, and in the land area under conservation.

A total of 171 NSW sites have now been set aside for permanent conservation under Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements, covering roughly 93,000 hectares of land.

Almost one million biodiversity credits have been generated, spanning 255 unique types of biodiversity.

However, problems remain, the draft report says.

In particular, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Fund continues to hold a significant number of obligations for which development has occurred, but no credits have been purchased.

In addition, it remains the case that a significant number of offsets are not like-for-like biodiversity credits.

IPART recommends measures including the release of annual reports showing the location and type of cleared biodiversity, and the location and type of the associated offsets.

In response to renewed interest in geothermal exploration, the NSW government has released new modelling and analysis to improve the understanding of geothermal prospectivity across the state. 

The analysis identified three basins in the state that are prospective for geothermal energy.

The state government says NSW is under-explored for geothermal energy, and the new analysis, in conjunction with improved drilling technology and engineering solutions "increases the opportunites for exploration success".

"Geothermal energy has the capacity to provide scalable, dispatchable baseload power to the electricity grid without the carbon footprint of fossil fuel generated electricity," the state government said.

"Furthermore there is key geothermal prospectivity along the eastern seaboard where the majority of electricity in NSW is consumed."

EnergyCo has launched its 2026 Annual Community Attitude Survey for residents in the Central West-Orana Renewable Energy Zone.

VICTORIA

Victoria's shadow energy and emissions reduction minister, David Davis, has pledged to "pause" the VNI West and Western Renewables Link projects, pending a review.

"A full review of the Victorian Transmission Plan will enable the spiralling cost of new transmission lines to be put through a rigorous assessment process," Davis said.

In addition to pausing the projects, a Coalition state government would reverse legislation designed to speed the acquisition of land in transmission corridors.

The review will also review the state's Renewable Energy Zones.

Davis, said the Coalition would focus on encouraging the installation of solar and batteries on Melbourne's warehouses and factories, through an "urban solar parks" scheme.

The Clean Energy Council criticised the Coalition's pledge.

"Victoria needs large-scale generation, and large-scale generation needs transmission to move electricity from where it is produced to where it is consumed," the Council said.

"The Nationals' policy puts thousands of regional construction and operational jobs at risk by 2035, around three quarters of them in regional Victoria, while stripping $3.9 billion in wages and $3.2 billion in local procurement from regional economies," the Council said.

In addition, $213 million in landholder and community benefit payments would be put at risk, including direct payments to host farmers and regional communities, it said.

Latrobe City Council has appointed Yarra Drones to design and establish an Advanced Air Mobility Command Centre at Latrobe Regional Airport, supported by state government funding. 

The Command Centre, forming part of the Latrobe Aerospace Technology Precinct, will provide operators with testing facilities to evaluate what the Council called "low-to-no-emissions" freight transport technologies.

"Australia’s emerging drone sector is expected to deliver a $14.5 billion economic boost and create more than 5,500 jobs annually," the Council said.

The Victorian and federal governments have approved Amplitude Energy's Annie gas field project in the Otway Basin.

Works will start next year to deliver gas from 2028. 

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Statutory development - mining. The South Australian government has introduced an Energy and Mining Reforms Bill.

The Bill includes provisions that adjust the operation of South Australia's Mining Rehabilitation Fund.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Statutory development - transmission charges. The Western Australian government has introduced an Electricity Industry Amendment (Capital Charges) Bill.

The Bill establishes a capital charges scheme for transmission projects in the South West Interconnected System, to give industry greater certainty about transmission connection costs.

It inserts a new part 9C into theElectricity Industry Act 2004 to establish the regulatory framework for a capital charges scheme for SWIS access.

The capital charges will be established through regulations, which were tabled in state Parliament on the day that the Bill was introduced.

Under the existing framework, connection costs can be variable and uncertain as they depend on detailed engineering assessments, which can't be done until projects are well advanced.

The Western Australian EPA has released environmental referral information for project NeoSmelt, which would manufacture lower-emissions iron.

The BlueScope-led pilot project would annually produce about 49,000 tonnes of iron, and would be located in the Rockingham Industrial Zone, south of Perth.

A Western Australian parliamentary committee inquiring into decarbonisation has released transcript of evidence given by three people involved in the POSCO-led proposed Port Hedland Iron project in the Pilbara.

 The green iron project would produce about two million tonnes a year of iron, initially using LNG as a reducing agent, but eventually using hydrogen.

IDEAS, ADVOCACY, GUIDANCE, AND INNOVATION

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council and ConnellGriffin have released a white paper on sustainable procurement.

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