SEC submission to DCCEEW
Date: 29th May 2026
Submitted to: DCCEEW
Short Description
The Smart Energy Council provided a submission to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s public consultation on the draft National Environmental Standard for Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES).
We support ensuring Australia’s clean energy transition is nature-positive, but caution that a purely principles-based standard risks creating prolonged approval bottlenecks and inflating capital risk premiums.
Our recommendations encourage DCCEEW to provide precise, upfront clarity on data expectations and commit to real-world scenario piloting against active clean energy projects.
This submission will inform the final legislative settings to deliver objective, predictable approval tests.
