The Abbott government's proposed change to a key environmental protection law is an anti-democratic move that could put Australia's famous natural heritage sites at risk, green groups say.

Eight leading non-profit environmental organisations gathered in Sydney on Wednesday to oppose the federal government's plan to abolish section 487 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

Senior members of eight environment groups gather in Sydney to oppose the federal government's plan to reduce legal appeal rights for major projects. Credit:Peter Hannam

The move, which may struggle to win sufficient votes to get through the Senate, would limit legal challenges to major projects to those parties directly affected.

World Wide Fund for Nature chief executive Dermot O'Gorman​ said laws such as the EPBC Act were fundamental to a democratic society, giving the public a chance to exercise checks and balances on big companies.