Mr GREG WARREN (Campbelltown) (15:40): I am delighted to make a contribution to the important Environmental Legislation Amendment Bill 2025. I will make my contribution in two parts. In the first part, I will speak specifically to the bill. In the second part, I will take the opportunity to talk about some of the prominent current environmental matters, values and principles relating to Greater Western Sydney and my electorate of Campbelltown. The bill seeks to modernise New South Wales environment protection legislation, increase consistency and address administrative issues.

The main changes in the bill include incorporating the value of Aboriginal cultures and knowledges into the objectives of the Environment Protection Authority [EPA] and its State of the Environment reporting and sentencing and including environmental justice principles in sentencing to ensure the penalty for an offence reflects the disproportionate impact of environmental harm on vulnerable communities. The bill also seeks to clarify that an environment protection licence will be required and the land pollution offence will apply where waste is stored at volumes that collectively exceed the threshold in all spaces or areas used for storage on a property, which is in response to an adverse court case. It also seeks to introduce more severe penalties for repeat offenders who carry out certain waste activities without an environment protection licence and to introduce a new offence to address the harassment of EPA officers.

The bill, which builds on the Environment Protection Legislation Amendment (Stronger Regulation and Penalties) Act 2024, amends multiple Acts to improve the operational effectiveness and clarity of New South Wales environmental laws. In addition to the main changes outlined, some other significant changes are required. I take the opportunity to acknowledge the Minister and all of her staff, who have worked hard to bring this legislation before the House to ensure that our environment laws are adequate. Other key changes include enabling protection of the environment policies to apply to a broader set of stakeholders to encourage industry to take steps to invest in their environmental performance. They also include updating public registers, executive liability offences, penalties for new industrial chemicals laws and the EPA's ability to prevent or stop breaches of laws to improve consistency across environment protection legislation.

The bill empowers the EPA to direct people to leave an area where there is a hazard or emergency that poses a risk of harm to human health or the environment. It provides that certain environmental management plans that need to be implemented to manage contaminated land be given to the EPA and made public to promote transparency. It makes changes to processes and reporting such as registering clean-up and prevention notices on a land title, money that can be paid to the EPA fund, EPA board reporting, the frequency of the State of the Environment report, and the Net Zero Commission annual reporting cycle. It also makes minor, miscellaneous amendments to update and clarify provisions, reduce administrative burden and facilitate the making of regulations so as to support the operation of relevant Acts.

The changes will better enable the EPA to proactively reduce the risk of harm to human health and the environment, to restore and enhance the quality of the environment and to effectively enforce legislation. I am advised that stakeholder consultation was thorough and detailed. New South Wales Government agencies were consulted in developing the proposals and drafting the bill. Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal Affairs NSW and members of the EPA independent Aboriginal Peoples Knowledge Group were consulted on the respect for country proposals. The results of consultation reflect support for changes to the various Acts that are included in the bill.

I understand the Opposition will support the bill, as well as some foreshadowed amendments. I acknowledge that is a sensible move and a good display of how we can work together as a Parliament when it comes to passing legislation that protects our environment. We live in a beautiful State with many beautiful areas. The Government's Great Koala National Park, which adds 176,000 hectares to the national park estate, is a wonderful announcement, particularly in the pursuit of koala conservation and preservation. It would be a tragic day if we ever turned on the television to find that the last koala had died. That will not be happening on this Government's watch. When the previous Government was in power, there were reports that koalas were destined for extinction. I know that the Minister and all of my colleagues were not going to see that happen when we came to government.

I acknowledge that measures were taken at the time, but the reality is that we needed a step towards something like the Great Koala National Park. We promised it before the election, and we delivered it after the election. It is important for the people of New South Wales to understand that this Government means what it says and it says what it means. If we say something before an election, it is not simply a campaign slogan to get elected or re-elected. We say it because we mean it, and it is consistent with the needs, dreams and aspirations of societies and communities in New South Wales.

With the indulgence of the House, I will talk about the fantastic Warranmadhaa National Park, which Minister Penny Sharpe announced. The park will be made up of a number of pockets of land from Glenfield to Appin along some sensitive koala areas along the Georges River in the Georges River National Park and reserves, which incorporate Smiths Creek and many other areas. Koala preservation in my electorate and in south-west Sydney is a sensitive and important issue to my community. That is why I give it the passion and the priority that it needs and deserves. I know that there are high expectations as our community continues to grow, but I want my community and the people of New South Wales to know my personal and professional commitment to ensuring the preservation of habitat and the conservation of environment.

Warranmadhaa National Park will be increased from its current 960 hectares to 2,000 hectares. It will add to the previous Labor Government's legacy of something like two million hectares of national park, which was an enormous step. This is not up to that level, of course, because the Carr and Iemma Labor governments did so much in their terms, but it is a good addition. It is a symbolic representation of this Government's passionate commitment to the preservation of habitat and the conservation of the environment. I thank the House.