The former Treasury secretary Ken Henry says “a conga line of developers” would lobby the environment minister for special carve outs unless the Albanese government clarifies the types of projects that could be granted exemptions under its new nature laws .

While welcoming the overall package of laws introduced to parliament on Thursday, Henry said the vague drafting of the “national interest” exemption and the failure to close loopholes for native forest logging and land clearing were problems that needed to be fixed.

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Labor’s grassroots environment action group also want the exemption “tightened”, and the other loopholes shut, but is desperate for the laws to pass after years of internal campaigning.

Five years to the day since Graeme Samuel present

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