Federal EPA a ‘very high and immediate’ priority of Albanese government, environment minister says

Murray Watt is also considering ditching the ‘nature positive’ title for Labor’s overhaul of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act

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Legislating a federal environment protection agency is a “very high and immediate” priority for the re-elected Labor government, new minister Murray Watt has said, signalling he wants nature laws passed quickly to avoid another drawn-out political fight.

In an early statement of intent, Watt will next week travel to Western Australia where he intends to meet face to face with the premier, Roger Cook, and mining industry leaders whose lobbying helped sink the proposed EPA in the previous term.