What do your local representatives think of Labor’s environmental law overhaul?

The Labor Party’s “once-in-a-generation” environmental reforms have passed through the House of Representatives with ease. But on Sydney’s North Shore, where crossbench MPs now outnumber the major parties, the package has been met with far sharper criticism. 

What happened: Crossbenchers like Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall say Labor’s Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 has too many loopholes to be effective. 

Even more so, crossbenchers took issue with the lack of restrictions on carbon-emitting projects in the laws. 

What does this mean? These environmental laws set the guidelines for how projects that will impact our natural environment — like gas extraction or solar farms — are assessed: ultimately, whether the government says yes or no to them.

• The proposed laws mean things like endangered species, heritage areas, and significant waterways must be considered in these decisions. 

• However, they do not require consideration of the emissions produced by approved projects that harm the environment.

For Bennelong’s “climate champion” Jerome Laxale, the only Labor member on the North Shore, it has made for difficult terrain to navigate. 

Climate action and Labor: Following his ascension to Parliament in 2022, Laxale has been an advocate for action on climate and is a member of the Labor Environment Action Network. 

In the lead up to these reforms, he was vocal about the need for them to adequately address the impacts of climate change. 

• Since the bill has come to parliament — notably lacking considerations of emissions and climate change in its assessment process — Laxale’s tone has shifted, instead speaking to the urgent need for the reforms to pass. 

• “Our environment cannot wait for these laws to stall any longer as current laws are broken”, Laxale told the Lorikeet.

To the senate: To get the laws implemented this year, Labor will need to make a deal in the senate, which they do not control as completely as the lower house. 

When asked which deal he’d rather see, Laxale said the government was “open to amendments from either the Greens, Liberals or both”.

Nicolette Boele: Among the 83 crossbench amendments voted down by Labor, one came from Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele. 

The proposed amendment called for decisions made under the act to consider “the protection of the environment from climate change”.

Speaking to the Lorikeet, Independent Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele said that she was “quite disappointed” with climate-conscious members of Labor, like Laxale, who nonetheless toed the party line.

•  “[I can] only imagine there must be pushback from some members of the Labor Party about just how weak these environmental laws are,” she said.

• Despite the many speeches made and amendments put forward to these environmental laws, it seems at this moment that those outside of the Labor party who will have the most say on them will be either the Greens or Coalition. 

When asked whether being locked out of major policy reform in this way was a weakness of operating as an independent politician, Boele said that “whether or not the government is enlightened enough to look at the science is completely up to them.” 

“My job is to turn up every time and prosecute sensible policy. It's not radical. It's completely sensible that nature law reform includes consideration of climate.”