Coal and gas projects would be protected from legal challenges based on the emissions their exports created overseas under a coalition government.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s pledge, announced on Saturday, would make it harder for activists to delay or stop major resources projects.
It comes just days after community environmentalists successfully challenged a major coal mine expansion in NSW’s Hunter region.
In a landmark ruling on Wednesday, the High Court knocked back Mach Energy’s mine expansion in Muswellbrook because the NSW planning body did not account for emissions from coal sold and burnt overseas.
Under the Australian Resources Exports and Jobs Protection Bill proposed by Mr Taylor, governments would be prevented from refusing or frustrating projects based on overseas emissions.
“It is madness that local planning authorities must now consider the climate impacts of resources used in other countries before approving a mine in NSW,” Mr Taylor said.
“If Australia cannot export our resources, our partners will simply look elsewhere,” he said, adding the move would protect local jobs.
The bill would prevent federal, state and territory governments from creating laws that require approval processes to consider overseas emissions.
It would also establish a principle that Australian resource projects should be assessed on their local environmental impacts alone.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan said the reforms would protect jobs and projects being “held hostage by radical green activists”.
“We will not let activists destroy Australia with their ideology that makes not one degree of difference,” he said.
In the days since the split 3-2 High Court ruling was handed down, debate has centred on whether it would affect approvals beyond NSW.
Elaine Johnson, the lawyer who represented the successful community group, previously told AAP the decision suggested Australia had a general responsibility to mitigate emissions from its coal wherever it was burnt.
“I think that the application of the High Court’s decision is broad,” she said.
Others, however, including Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, have insisted its application did not extend beyond the NSW legislation the court was tasked with considering.
Nonetheless, he said he would consider tightening Queensland’s legislation if required.
“If stronger changes are needed to the laws to make them even more bulletproof, you bet we will do that,” he told reporters in Cairns on Thursday.
Asked whether he thought emissions generated overseas should be considered, and whether that was good for the environment, he replied bluntly: “I don’t.”
Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King stressed the decision was technical and did not spell the end for Australia’s fossil fuel industries.
“It won’t necessarily extend to other states,” she told ABC Radio on Thursday.
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