Environment watchdog unveiled in bid for transparency

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WATCHDOG

* The Environment Protection Agency will have new powers and penalties to help enforce federal environment law

* It will be able to issue environment protection orders, also known as "stop-work" orders to anyone breaking the law and can audit businesses to ensure they are complying with environment approval processes

* Maximum fines have been increased to $780 million for extremely serious intentional breaches of federal environment law

* Courts could also send offenders to prison for up to seven years under these new penalties

* The agency will be responsible for enforcing other federal laws such as recycling, hazardous waste, wildlife trafficking, sea dumping, ozone protection, and air quality

ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION AGENCY

* The Environment Information Australia will provide the government and public with environmental data

* It will be legally required to publish state of environment reports every two years, instead of five

* The body will develop an online database to give businesses quicker access to data and iron out the federal environmental approvals process

* The government has allocated $100 million to help speed up environmental approval decisions

* These announcements are the second stage of the government's Nature Positive Plan

*It initially promised to implement the plan in full by the end of 2023, but it has been split into tranches with significant reform of the nation's main environment legislation delayed into 2024