The Economic Perspective 21 November 2025

The Latest Trending Economic News Curated for You by Balmoral Group Australia

Good morning dear readers,

This week’s articles touch base on the EPBC Act reform bills, the costs of climate change and new opportunities in drought management and minerals. A new submission from the Climate Council criticises the new environmental reforms bills for enshrining the same loopholes as before, while also making it easier to fast track polluting projects, and new funding for WA aims to strengthen drought resilience for agricultural areas and remote communities. Next, a discussion of insurance adaptations that could mitigate the risks of climate change-associated damages, and new NSW data suggests opportunities for mining of high-purity silica within the State. I have also attached a figure from a productivity commission paper showcasing carbon emissions by sector. 

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Hope you enjoy the articles and have a great weekend!

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Senate Inquiry – Environment Protection Reform Bill 2025 and six related bills

The seven EPBC Act reform bills are before senate and unlikely to be passed before mid-2026. A recent submission from the Climate Council has some criticisms, claiming that the reforms would actually promote fossil projects through multiple mechanisms and fails to address existing loopholes. The Climate Council suggests three improvements: ensure the disclosure and assessment of pollution during project approval, accelerate sustainable energy and infrastructure rather than fossils, and close the climate loopholes that facilitate land clearing. Read more here. 

Two new innovative projects are securing water futures for regional WA through the National Water Grid 

$3 million has been invested into WA’s regional water resilience through two key projects. First, the $2.7 million WaterSmart Wheatbelt project will explore brackish paleochannels as potential emergency and long-term water sources for drought-prone agricultural regions, aiming to develop cost-effective methods to explore aquifers – the underground layers of rock that store and transmit water. The second project will invest half a million in trialing water treatment and monitoring methods in remote Aboriginal communities. Read more here.

Extreme weather now costs Australians $4.5b a year. Better insurance options and loans would help us adapt 

Australia ranks second in the world for extreme weather-related damages, spending $4.5b per year on damages, and nearly 90% of Aussie homes are not fit for climate change. Insurance adaptations could provide solutions.  For example, parametric insurance supplies automated payouts for given scenarios (such as a specific wind speed) rather than requiring lengthy damage investigations – this form is widely used in the Pacific. Other options include cooperative insurance that covers entire communities, climate resilience credits that reduce insurance premiums for customers who install disaster mitigations on their properties, or increasingly offering low interest loans to fund sustainability upgrades. Read more here.

New opportunities for high-purity silica critical minerals mining across NSW revealed 

New NSW government data shows that high-purity silica sources may be frequent throughout the state, (in the form of sedimentary units, quartz pipes, hydrothermal bodies, etc). High-purity silica is one of the 21 critical minerals found in NSW and the resulting silicone is used to make products such as semiconductors for computer chips, solar panels, and specialty optical equipment. Discovery of mineral veins has potential to open new export opportunities to supply global markets, so the State government aims to partner with industry to renew exploration projects. Read more here.

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Australia’s emissions for the year to March 2025, by sectoral source

This figure from the Productivity Commision's "Guardrails for modern industry policy" paper shows emissions proportions across a range of sectors – electricity generation, transport, agriculture, waste, and industrial processes.  

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