There was only one story in town this week in the energy sector – the tabling of Murray Watt's new Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025.

And let's be honest, there are more surprises in a Halloween episode of Scooby-Doo.

Leaning heavily (to say the least) on the Sussan Ley-commissioned review, conducted by Graeme Samuel five years ago, Watt's new bill is centred around the three pillars of stronger environmental protection and restoration, more efficient and robust project approvals and greater accountability and transparency in environmental decision making.

Off the back of a whirlwind of media interviews and press conferences there really were not that many surprises in the many pages of the bill which were presented to parliament yesterday morning.

In fact, the only surprise of the day came once the deed was done when the bill was immediately referred to a senate inquiry.

Watt has been saying for months he wants to see the bill tabled and passed into law this calendar year.

Part one: gold star, Watt. Well done.

However, despite calling for a snap-fire senate inquiry of around four weeks, potentially enabling the bill to be fully debated and passed in the last parliament sitting of the year next month, the Environment and Communications Legislation Committee has given itself until the end of next March to consider the bill.

Part two: must try harder, Watt. Zero out of ten.

Now, while the bill can continue to be debated and amended in the House while the Senate committee is undertaking its inquiry, it won't be passed until the report is returned and as anyone knows, a week is a long time in politics, let alone the best part of five months.

In the coming days the committee will likely convene a number of public hearings on the bill at which all manner of opponents and supporters will be able to have their say, either through lodging a written submission or being invited to appear at a hearing.

So, it would appear we have a fully-fledged bun fight on our hands.

Predictably the Greens are up in arms (if you didn't catch party leader Larissa Waters yesterday reacting to Murray Watt's proclamation that the Labor party is against making species extinct, do look it up on ABC's iView) and will be playing hard ball in both the inquiry (deputy chaired by the Greens' Sarah Hanson-Young) and both houses, but especially the Senate.

Even more moderate voices have expressed concern about the future abuse of the bill's provision of sweeping powers – especially the inclusion of the so-called "national interest" powers which would enable a minister to approve select projects and override environmental checks.

Former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, now chair of the Australian Climate and Biodiversity Foundation, says it's a risk and that "as soon as it's possible to do so, the opportunity should be taken to codify the exemption."

And as if the environmental lobby isn't enough to contend with, Watt will be well aware the Coalition also opposes his plans, arguing the reforms will introduce further complexity and duplication for businesses.

This one isn't over, not by a long chalk, minister.

One suspects former environment minister Tanya Plibersek might just be breathing a little easier overseeing the social services portfolio.

Happy Halloween - I'm off to eat some chocolate.

Yours, 

Russell Yeo