This bill is currently before Parliament.
Climate, energy & environment
The bill would repeal Commonwealth provisions that block or limit approval pathways for certain nuclear facilities, including nuclear power plants, fuel fabrication plants, enrichment plants and reprocessing facilities.
Senator Canavan introduced the bill to remove Commonwealth legal prohibitions that stop specified nuclear facilities from being approved or considered. In his second-reading speech, he argued Australia should be able to assess nuclear energy alongside other low-emissions technologies, while the explanatory memorandum says environmental assessment, radiation-safety regulation, state and territory powers and nuclear-safeguards permits would remain in place.
The bill sits in Australia's recurring argument over whether federal law should keep a blanket bar on nuclear power while the country debates emissions reduction, electricity reliability and energy costs. The sponsor traces the current prohibitions to late-1990s amendments and frames repeal as a technology-neutral step; collected public-context reporting shows nuclear policy was also a major federal political issue before and after the 2025 election.
The collected bill-specific parliamentary record does not include opposition speeches, amendments, divisions or a committee report for this 2026 bill. The wider collected public-context material shows the main criticisms around nuclear policy were cost, long build times, waste and safety concerns, local and state resistance, and concern that nuclear policy could slow the renewable-energy transition.
Senator Matthew Canavan introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from LNP.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
126 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
The bill would repeal Commonwealth provisions that block or limit approval pathways for certain nuclear facilities, including nuclear power plants, fuel fabrication plants, enrichment plants and reprocessing facilities.
In the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999Australia's main federal environment law. This bill would repeal several EPBC Act provisions that currently stop certain nuclear installations being approved or considered through specified pathways., the repeals would remove bans on the environment minister declaring, approving, or considering actions involving those nuclear installations.
In the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998A Commonwealth law for radiation protection and nuclear safety. This bill would repeal section 10, while the explanatory memorandum says the safety regulator's protective functions would remain., the bill would repeal section 10, which the explanatory memorandum describes as a restriction on constructing or operating certain nuclear facilities.
The explanatory memorandum says the bill would not remove other EPBC ActAustralia's main federal environment law. This bill would repeal several EPBC Act provisions that currently stop certain nuclear installations being approved or considered through specified pathways. assessment requirements, state and territory radiation-protection powers, or the foreign affairs minister’s role under nuclear non-proliferation safeguards law.
If passed, the bill would commence the day after Royal AssentThe formal approval that turns a bill passed by Parliament into an Act. This bill would commence the day after Royal Assent if enacted.. The collected APH record lists it as still before the Senate, so this page does not report any final Act or passed text.
Section 10 Repeal the section. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 2 Section 37J Repeal the section. 3 Section 140A Repeal the section. 4 Section 146M Repeal the section.Environment and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions) introduced bill text
removing the blanket prohibition on the Minister for Environment and Water declaring, approving, or considering actions relating to the construction or operation of certain nuclear facilities as described in sections 37J, 140A and 146M, and paragraph 305(2)(d) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999Environment and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions) explanatory memorandum
removing the blanket prohibition on the construction or operation of certain nuclear facilities as described in section 10 of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998, by repealing that sectionEnvironment and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions) explanatory memorandum
leaves unaffected the other elements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999... state and territory powers... and the power vested in the Minister for Foreign Affairs to determine whether or not to issue a permit under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation (Safeguards) Act 1987Environment and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions) explanatory memorandum
The whole of this Act The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.Environment and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions) introduced bill text
Context
The bill sits in Australia's recurring argument over whether federal law should keep a blanket bar on nuclear power while the country debates emissions reduction, electricity reliability and energy costs. The sponsor traces the current prohibitions to late-1990s amendments and frames repeal as a technology-neutral step; collected public-context reporting shows nuclear policy was also a major federal political issue before and after the 2025 election.
Federal nuclear prohibitions enter the policy story
In the incorporated second-reading speech, Senator Canavan said the nuclear-energy banA legal rule that prevents a class of nuclear facilities from being approved or considered at all, rather than allowing a project-by-project assessment. was introduced through a Greens amendment in the Senate in December 1999 while the Howard government was seeking support for a new research reactor at Lucas Heights.
Senate Hansard ↗Earlier Canavan repeal bill introduced
The 2026 second-reading speech says Senator Canavan had first introduced this proposal in 2022 and thanked people who took part in the later Senate committee inquiry.
Senate Hansard ↗Coalition takes nuclear policy to the national debate
Collected public reporting said Peter Dutton pledged seven nuclear power stations by 2050, with resistance from states and concerns from business about delaying the energy transition.
Australian Financial Review ↗Coalition figures revisit the shape of nuclear policy
After the 2025 election, collected reporting quoted James Paterson saying that lifting the moratoriumA legal rule that prevents a class of nuclear facilities from being approved or considered at all, rather than allowing a project-by-project assessment. and leaving investment to the private sector was more consistent with Liberal Party philosophy than government ownership of generators.
Australian Financial Review ↗Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions bill introduced
Senator Canavan introduced the private senator's billA bill introduced by a senator who is not introducing it on behalf of the government. The APH metadata lists this bill as a private bill sponsored by Senator Matthew Canavan. in the Senate and moved the second reading on the same day. The collected APH record lists no later passage and records the bill as before the Senate.
APH bill page ↗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
Key criticism
The collected bill-specific parliamentary record does not include opposition speeches, amendments, divisions or a committee report for this 2026 bill. The wider collected public-context material shows the main criticisms around nuclear policy were cost, long build times, waste and safety concerns, local and state resistance, and concern that nuclear policy could slow the renewable-energy transition.
This section reports criticism found in the scoped local source bundle. It should not be read as a full account of all arguments for or against nuclear energy in Australia.
Cost and construction time
Even the sponsor's speech acknowledged that critics focus on the high cost of building nuclear power stations in western countries and long construction timeframes, while arguing those concerns are not a reason for a legal banA legal rule that prevents a class of nuclear facilities from being approved or considered at all, rather than allowing a project-by-project assessment..
Waste, safety and local opposition
Collected public commentary said nuclear policy would likely face concerns about waste storage, accidents and local opposition around proposed reactor sites.
Risk of delaying the energy transition
Collected reporting on the Coalition's 2024 nuclear plan described state resistance and business concerns that nuclear policy could delay the energy transition.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Senator Canavan supported the bill as a way to remove Commonwealth nuclear-energy prohibitions so nuclear projects could at least be discussed and assessed under existing environmental, radiation-safety, non-proliferation, state and territory laws.
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.
