Qld govt pushes environment clean-up laws

Queensland's environment minister wants laws passed this week to stop businessmen like Clive Palmer shirking their environmental responsibilities when their companies go under.

Steven Miles last month introduced an amendment to parliament that will stop taxpayers footing the bill if businesses closed but left environmental clean up to the government.

It was drafted and introduced in response to the ongoing saga surrounding the Palmer-owned Queensland Nickel refinery at Yabulu, near Townsville, which now looks set to close after administrators last week recommended it be placed into liquidation.

Dr Miles said the fact Linc Energy last week went into voluntary administration also highlighted how important the laws were.

"This emergent situation with new companies going into administration just last week does increase the importance of time frames here," he said when asked whether he wanted the laws passed last week.

"The importance of getting these laws in place so the state has the power to do what it needs to do to force people to clean up their environmental mess is now more urgent than ever."

The Environmental Protection (Chain of Responsibility) Amendment Bill 2016 will require cross bench support to be passed in the state's hung parliament.

A parliamentary committee last week could not agree in its report whether to support the laws, suggesting some minor changes.

Dr Miles said the government would consider the report, but hit out at opposition MPs for not backing the laws.

He accused Liberal National Party MPs of being "in favour of big polluters and against Queensland farmers, Queensland residents and the Queensland environment".

Dr Miles said he also planned to meet with the Queensland Law Society this week to discuss concerns it raised in its submission.

Interest groups have warned the government the amendments could have unintended consequences, such as hurting small investors or people not involved in a company's decision-making processes.