Recommendations to protect the environment

* Immediately implement and develop national environment standards to provide clear rules and improve decisions

* The broad standards should include matters of national environmental significance, Commonwealth actions, Indigenous engagement, compliance and enforcement

* They should require development proposals to disclose full emissions of projects, and to explicitly consider how effective their mitigation measures would be against climate change scenarios

* Immediately establish and appoint an Environment Assurance Commissioner to oversee decisions

* The environment protection laws should require decision-makers to consider Indigenous views and knowledge

* The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment should take immediate steps to build strong relationships with Indigenous Australians and respectfully use their valuable knowledge

* Traditional owners should be more included in managing Australia's national parks

* States and territories should be given power for single-touch environmental approvals, underpinned by national standards and subject to "rigorous, transparent" oversight by the Commonwealth and independent watchdog

* More environmental protections in forestry agreements

* The laws should be changed to ensure there is more effective planning in response to climate change.

(Source: Independent review of the EPBC Act)

Australian Associated Press