This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Climate, energy & environment
Large wind and solar projects across Australia would face a federal environmental review triggerA rule that brings a project into the federal approval system even if it would otherwise avoid it; this bill would add that trigger for large wind and solar projects., even when they might currently avoid review under the national environment law.
The rapid rollout of large wind and solar projects exposed a gap in federal oversight, leaving communities worried about damage to ecosystems and no proper assessment of cumulative impacts. This bill creates a federal review trigger for large wind and solar developments and requires approval or an exemptionA legal carve-out that lets a project proceed without following the usual approval rule; the bill says harmful projects need approval unless an exemption applies. before projects that could significantly harm the environment can proceed.
Under the existing EPBC ActThe main federal environment law this bill would amend; on this page it is the law that can trigger federal review and approval for major projects., large wind and solar projects could proceed without a dedicated federal trigger unless they affected another protected matter, and Senator Canavan argued that the rapid rollout of industrial-scale renewable developments was exposing local ecosystems and cumulative impacts to too little national oversight. The bill, introduced on 27 February 2024, sought to close that gap by forcing large wind and solar projects into federal assessment and approval, but it did not pass and lapsed when Parliament ended on 21 July 2025.
The collected source set for this run does not include a sourced public criticism of the bill. The page therefore does not identify a verified case against it from the available evidence.
Senator Matthew Canavan introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from LNP.
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
510 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
Large wind and solar projects across Australia would face a federal environmental review triggerA rule that brings a project into the federal approval system even if it would otherwise avoid it; this bill would add that trigger for large wind and solar projects., even when they might currently avoid review under the national environment law.
Large wind and solar developers could still apply to build projects, but they would have to go through federal environmental oversight similar to other nationally regulated project types.
People, companies and government bodies could face civil penalties or criminal offences if a large wind or solar project significantly harms the natural environment without federal approval or a valid exemptionA legal carve-out that lets a project proceed without following the usual approval rule; the bill says harmful projects need approval unless an exemption applies..
The new rules would start the day after royal assentThe formal step that makes a bill into law; here the new rules would start the day after that happens., so the approval and penalty changes would begin almost immediately once the bill became law.
This bill proposes to amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (‘EPBC Act’) to introduce a trigger for a review for all large-scale wind and solar projects to ensure no significant environmental impact results from developments that may not otherwise trigger a review under the existing EPBC Act. The bill would leave unaffected the ability for wind and solar projects to seek approval for construction but provides for adequate oversight like other actions under the EPBC Act, operating in a similar way to the water trigger for Coal and Coal Seam Gas Developments, and any nuclear action.Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Protecting Environmental Heritage) explanatory memorandum
This bill proposes to amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (‘EPBC Act’) to introduce a trigger for a review for all large-scale wind and solar projects to ensure no significant environmental impact results from developments that may not otherwise trigger a review under the existing EPBC Act. The bill would leave unaffected the ability for wind and solar projects to seek approval for construction but provides for adequate oversight like other actions under the EPBC Act, operating in a similar way to the water trigger for Coal and Coal Seam Gas Developments, and any nuclear action.Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Protecting Environmental Heritage) explanatory memorandum
4. This item inserts a new Subdivision FC in Division 1 of Part 3 of the EPBC Act, which provides for protection of environmental land from large-scale wind and solar energy projects. Civil penalty and offence provisions are established to prohibit actions involving large scale wind or solar projects that have, will have, or are likely to have a significant impact on the natural environment, unless done in accordance with an approval issued under Part 9 of the EPBC Act or unless otherwise exempted. These penalties and offences are consistent with penalties and offences for other matters of national environmental significance in Division 1 of Part 3.Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Protecting Environmental Heritage) explanatory memorandum
2. Clause 2 provides that the Bill’s provisions are to commence the day after the Act receives the Royal Assent.Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Protecting Environmental Heritage) explanatory memorandum
Context
Under the existing EPBC ActThe main federal environment law this bill would amend; on this page it is the law that can trigger federal review and approval for major projects., large wind and solar projects could proceed without a dedicated federal trigger unless they affected another protected matter, and Senator Canavan argued that the rapid rollout of industrial-scale renewable developments was exposing local ecosystems and cumulative impacts to too little national oversight. The bill, introduced on 27 February 2024, sought to close that gap by forcing large wind and solar projects into federal assessment and approval, but it did not pass and lapsed when Parliament ended on 21 July 2025.
Senator Canavan says the renewable rollout is overrunning rural landscapes
In his second reading speechThe speech a senator or MP gives to explain and argue for a bill; on this page it is used to show Senator Canavan's reasoning., Senator Canavan said large-scale wind and solar projects were taking over land, harming amenity and damaging natural landscapes in rural Australia.
Hansard ↗Bill introduced to create a federal trigger for large wind and solar projects
The bill was introduced to make large-scale wind and solar developments undergo EPBC ActThe main federal environment law this bill would amend; on this page it is the law that can trigger federal review and approval for major projects. review where they could significantly affect the natural environment even if no other federal trigger applied.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Bill proposes penalties for environmentally harmful projects without approval
Its explanatory memorandumThe document that explains what a bill is meant to do and how its clauses work; on this page it is the main source for the bill's purpose and mechanics. said projects causing significant environmental harm without EPBCThe main federal environment law this bill would amend; on this page it is the law that can trigger federal review and approval for major projects. approval or an exemptionA legal carve-out that lets a project proceed without following the usual approval rule; the bill says harmful projects need approval unless an exemption applies. could face civil penalties or criminal offences, bringing them into line with other nationally regulated actions.
Australian Parliament House ↗Bill lapses at the end of Parliament
The proposal fell away when Parliament ended, leaving the existing EPBCThe main federal environment law this bill would amend; on this page it is the law that can trigger federal review and approval for major projects. settings unchanged for large wind and solar projects.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The collected source set for this run does not include a sourced public criticism of the bill. The page therefore does not identify a verified case against it from the available evidence.
No sourced criticism was collected in this run; this should not be read as proof that no criticism existed.
Votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Canavan supports the bill and says it is needed to stop large-scale wind and solar projects from needlessly damaging the environment by forcing them to be properly assessed under the EPBC ActThe main federal environment law this bill would amend; on this page it is the law that can trigger federal review and approval for major projects..
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
1 speaker · 1 support
Record
Senate · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Senate · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Senate · Lapsed at end of Parliament
Lapsed at end of Parliament
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
