Laws being pushed through the Western Australian parliament could gut the independence of the state's environmental watchdog, conservationists say.
Earlier this week, the Labor government removed state-based emissions conditions for current and future fossil fuel projects under assessment by the WA Environmental Protection Authority.
The Conservation Council says other measures being debated will further erode the EPA's ability to protect the state, describing the developments as "disturbing".
"What we've seen is a systematic attack on our capacity in WA to protect nature and act on climate," executive director Jess Beckerling told reporters on Thursday.
"This is the latest in a series of steps that are undermining the EPA's capacity and also takes us in the wrong direction in terms of climate and nature regulation."
Ms Beckerling said WA urgently needed a legislated emissions reduction target for 2030 and a renewable energy target.
"We need to get serious about shifting our economy from fossil fuels over to renewables," she said.
"Instead, what we're seeing is a government that is listening more to fossil fuel corporations and big polluters."
The council has previously said the EPA Amendment Bill that is expected to pass parliament this week contains measures that will weaken the authority, including having industry representatives appointed to its board.
WA Environment Minister Reece Whitby told parliament on Tuesday that a review found the state's emissions assessment requirements were no longer necessary due to the Commonwealth strengthening the national safeguard mechanism.
"The review highlighted the duplicated nature of state and Commonwealth conditions for greenhouse gas emissions, applying an unnecessary administrative burden on regulators and proponents without delivering any additional environmental benefit," he said before tabling the new policy document.
Ms Beckerling said the Cook government had ceded control of emissions reductions in WA to the federal government.
"The WA government has just stripped itself of the ability to effectively regulate the impact of climate change from the biggest fossil fuel projects in the country including Woodside’s Burrup Hub," she said.
“The safeguard mechanism has no role to play in considering climate impacts on WA’s nature - only the WA EPA has been able to do that."
