The Great Barrier Reef has avoided being placed on UNESCO’s “in danger” list – for now.

But the warning hasn’t gone away. UNESCO says Australia still needs to do more to protect the reef, including on water quality.

One of the problems starts far inland: When bushland is cleared, soil can wash into rivers that flow out to the coral.

The Australian Conservation Foundation says bulldozing for beef production is a major driver of that runoff. Now, Australia’s new national environment watchdog – the National Environmental Protection Agency – has opened its doors with more than 100 potentially unlawful land-clearing cases already on its books.

Labor says its new nature laws will protect the environment and speed up approvals for housing, renewables and infrastructure. But will they actually stop the clearing – or just speed up a broken system?

Today, Australian Conservation Foundation CEO Adam Bandt, on the first test of Labor’s new nature laws – and whether they can make an impact before it’s too late.

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