The Northern Territory's four land councils are warning a senate inquiry that proposed changes to federal environment laws risk "irreversible damage to Country, culture and communities".

The Central, Northern, Tiwi and Anindilyakwa Land Councils said in a joint statement on Wednesday they are concerned the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Bill will "leave critical environmental standards to be developed after it has been passed".

The councils noted that while Aboriginal Territorians hold freehold title and native title rights over 98 per cent of the Northern Territory, they have been excluded from the consultations about the EPBC Act.

Central Land Council chair Warren Williams said the Albanese government "plans to push its bill through before setting important standards and is asking us to just trust them to get those right later".

"We're at the frontline of climate change where heat records keep tumbling and threaten to make our communities uninhabitable. With our very survival on country at stake we simply can't afford to take this crazy leap of faith," he said.

CLC general manager Dr Josie Douglas will be in Canberra on Thursday afternoon to give evidence to a senate inquiry into the proposed changes to the EPBC Act and will argue the amendments would "fast-track development that harms Aboriginal people and their country".

The land councils' joint submission to the inquiry urges the senate to "deeply embed climate change considerations" in the architecture of the proposed legislation and in the standards' project assessment and approval processes.

The four councils want the bill to protect Aboriginal people's interests by "giving the Indigenous advisory committee more teeth, for example the right to be consulted across the breadth of the EPBC Act".

Northern Land Council chief executive Yuseph Deen, who will join the inquiry from Darwin, said the recommendations to strengthen the committee "don't go far enough".

"(The Indigenous advisory committee) should be well-resourced, independent and representative of First Nations people. It should have the right to advise on the drafting of national environmental standards, monitor the impact of the bill on First Nations people and consult with traditional landowners," he said.

The land councils say the water trigger must apply not just to coal and gas projects, but thirsty mega-projects such as the controversial 40 gigalitre-per-year Singleton Station horticulture proposal. They also call the proposed law's 30-day consultation period for establishing development regions inadequate.

"We need at least 90 days to consult with traditional owners and ask for their free, prior and informed consent," Mr Deen said.

The land councils' submission argues for a watertight standard for delegating powers under the EPBC Act to states and territories.

"The standards need to be high enough to prevent the NT government from further slashing environmental and sacred site protections," Mr Deen said.

"We need strong, national standards that are enforced by the Commonwealth."