Anne-Marie Elias

Here's a nerdy post for those interested in the push to reform Australia's national environmental laws... Most media, political and environmental advocacy attention has been focused on ways to improve assessment and approval processes for developments so that (hopefully) these have less impact on our environment and don't get in the way of the renewable energy role out. But there's much more to protecting the environment than just mines, fines and transmission lines. To stop extinctions and restore ecological health, Australia needs to also:  1️⃣ Protect and restore threatened species and ecological communities – known as ‘recovery’  2️⃣ Eliminate or reduce the major threats to nature – known as ‘threat abatement’ Recovery gets a lot of attention, but even if recovery processes were optimal, the current fragmented and limited focus on threat abatement within the law and government priorities leads to continuous growth in threatened species lists, ongoing extinctions, landscape degradation and significant economic costs. Reforms of the EPBC Act will fail to stop environmental degradation unless they also significantly strengthen Australia’s capacity to systematically identify, prevent and abate threats to nature - especially invasive species.   That is why the Invasive Species Council is advocating for vital reforms to deal with: ❌ An ad-hoc, nomination-based process for listing Key Threatening Processes (KTPs), leading to a lack of comprehensive identification of both existing and emerging threats to nature. ❌ Live import regulations which are insufficient and often lack clear objectives and standards, leading to the introduction of high-risk invasive species. ❌ Inconsistent post-border regulation of established invasives across states and territories. ❌ Listed threats often lack corresponding abatement plans or policies, and even when plans exist, implementation is often uncoordinated and unaccountable. ❌ There are no robust requirements for monitoring the status of threats or progress in abatement, hindering adaptive management and accountability. Have a read of our briefing note for Minister Murray Watt which goes into detail about the reforms we want to see, including: ✅ Strengthen prevention at the border by reforming the EPBC Act's live import provisions (Part 13A) to (1) Mandate a highly precautionary, risk-averse approach for all live import decisions (2) Extend assessment requirements to fungi, protists, viruses, bacteria, archaeobacteria, not just plants and animals (3) Create a "prohibited list" for unsuitable taxa (4) establish an independent scientific committee to advise on decisions ✅ Enhance Australia's Threat Abatement System by (1) requiring systematic identification and listing (2) enabling flexible response options and action-oriented plans ✅ Establish a nationally consistent, risk-based scheme to regulate the sale and transport of invasive or potentially invasive species within Australia.

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Western systems treat speed as virtue. Indigenous systems treat time as relationship. Urgency has become the default setting. But time was never meant to move at the speed of extraction. Deadlines are set without consent. Timelines are written without relationship. And the faster a system moves, the more it forgets what matters. In Indigenous Systems Thinking, time is not a resource to manage. It is a relationship to uphold. Time holds memory. It reflects care. It follows land, ceremony, and readiness. It stretches across generations and pauses when clarity is needed. When systems are aligned to these rhythms: Planning becomes stewardship. Evaluation becomes memory. Decisions carry integrity. Time is not neutral. It always reflects the values of the system it serves. If your timelines reward speed over trust, You’re in the wrong system. This is how we design futures that last: Not by moving fast, but by moving with protocol.

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Koalas, carbon credits, and a catch in the fine print The NSW Government’s proposed Great Koala National Park is a vital step for koalas and biodiversity. But there’s a catch in the fine print: final creation is conditional on registering a carbon project under the Improved Native Forest Management (INFM) method. Key points: - Additionality matters. If the park was already a policy commitment, can it really generate “additional” carbon abatement and ACCUs? - The current INFM draft allows two paths: stop logging (good for climate & koalas) or defer/reduce logging (delayed pollution that still emits large volumes of CO₂). - Science is clear: logged forests are more flammable for decades, and the most credible mitigation is to end native forest logging, not postpone it. - Australia can do this: ~90% of sawn timber already comes from plantations, and public subsidies would be better directed to productive, low-impact parts of the economy. Bottom line: if INFM proceeds, it should only credit projects that cease native-forest logging entirely—no loopholes, no leakage. 🔗 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gnHRkdcd

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EIANZ Partners with the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA): A Global Collaboration for Environmental Impact  We’re excited to announce a new partnership between the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) and the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA). 🌏 This partnership connects our members to IAIA’s global network, spanning over 100 nations and representing a diverse range of disciplines within the Impact Assessment field. Together, we’re creating opportunities to strengthen environmental practice and promote sustainability on a global scale. What This Means for Our Members: Exclusive Benefits: Access discounted rates on select IAIA events. Collaborative Initiatives: Work together on advocacy, guidelines, and professional development. Global Reach: Leverage a formal framework for collaboration to amplify our impact. EIANZ President, Vicki Brady FEIANZ CEnvP, shared: “Collaboration in environmental practice has never been more important. This partnership allows us to combine our strengths for the benefit of our members, the profession, and the environment. Together, we’re working towards a sustainable future.” IAIA CEO, Gary Baker, CFA, added: “We are proud to partner with EIANZ. This agreement strengthens our connection across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific region, furthering our mission of environmental stewardship and sustainability.” This partnership reflects our shared commitment to informed decision-making, ethical practice, and a sustainable future. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e4Sb-7zB #EIANZ #IAIA #ImpactAssessment #EnvironmentalPartnership

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