Western Australian Premier Roger Cook has confirmed he lobbied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to abandon the federal government's proposed Nature Positive environmental reforms, effectively killing a potential deal with the Greens. The intervention came during last-minute negotiations between Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, which were said to have come close to an agreement.
Mr Cook stated he spoke to Mr Albanese on Tuesday, reiterating the West Australian government's opposition to the laws in their current form. He expressed satisfaction with the prime minister's assurance that the reforms would be shelved, allowing time to work with industry on environmental stewardship objectives. The premier described his stance as reflecting a 'unity WA ticket' with the state's business and mining sectors.
The decision leaves Mr Albanese vulnerable to accusations from the Greens that he has capitulated to resource companies over environmental concerns. A senior government source confirmed there would be 'no deal this week'. The proposed changes, which aimed to establish an independent environmental cop and streamline project approvals, were a key part of Labor's 2022 election platform.
Talks had resumed after Senator Hanson-Young dropped demands for a 'climate trigger' in exchange for greater protections against native forest logging. However, resistance from mining groups and concerns about Labor's election prospects in Western Australia prompted the prime minister to prioritize other legislation, including social media reforms, the Future Made in Australia Act, and immigration changes.
