Weak national nature law draft standards a 'tick-and-flick'

Greenpeace Australia Pacific

SYDNEY, Thursday 30 April 2026 — Commenting on the release of the government’s draft standard on Matters of National Environmental Significance, the following lines can be attributed to Glenn Walker, Head of Nature at Greenpeace Australia Pacific: 

"The national environmental standards fall well short of what is needed to protect nature.

“These standards are meant to be the objective test that all developers have to meet to properly protect nature, including our most endangered wildlife, like the koala or green turtle. But what has been put forward isn't even a test; it's a tick-and-flick process for status quo nature destruction. 

“This draft standard is deeply disappointing, given the clear feedback to the government on the flaws of its first proposal. The latest version, released today, is too weak and must be significantly strengthened if our nature law is to do what it is designed to do: protect nature. This is the only way to hold dodgy developers and big fossil fuel corporations accountable for safeguarding our most precious natural places and wildlife."

-ENDS-

Kimberley Bernard on +61407 581 404 or [email protected]