CANBERRA will expand the iconic natural areas under its protection but hand its right of veto over some proposals to the states.

The government's headline announcement was its plan to create new "ecosystems of national significance", in areas such as north Queensland's Cassowary Coast, near Mission Beach.

It is the biggest revamp of federal environment laws in more than a decade, The Australian reports.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke yesterday declared the current act provided too little protection too late, focusing on endangered species at the expense of healthy, pristine ecosystems.

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