WA to cut green tape with environmental law overhaul

The Federal and WA Government are negotiating a new bilateral agreement to eliminate duplication in environmental approvals that, if adopted nation-wide, could save Australia $7b according to Federal Government figures.

This week, Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt met with WA Premier Roger Cook to discuss reforms to the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. These changes will streamline processes by negating the need for Federal assessment of projects already under review by the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

Minister Watt says he is confident that the governments can both deliver better environmental protections for Australia and speed up approvals processes for mining projects.

“The problem with the current laws is that the processes are too clunky, they are seeing our environment go backwards and we want to fix that,” he said.

“We want to see that business development happens at the same time as strengthening environmental protections and I’m very confident we can deliver that in these reforms.”

If an agreement is reached, it will allow the WA Government to assess new mining or housing projects to an agreed standard without requiring approval from the Federal Government who, with current laws, would perform almost the exact same assessment for a second time.

“That kind of duplication where people have got to go through two different systems with two different governments adds months and, in some cases, years to the time it takes to approve and consider projects,” Minister Watt said.

“What that means is that we aren’t getting the housing that Australia needs, the renewable energy that Australia needs, the critical minerals development that Australia needs and the general economic prosperity that Australia needs.”

If an agreement is made, WA will be the first region in Australia to successfully reach an arrangement with the Federal Government, leading the way for other states and territories to follow.

Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA policy and advocacy director Anita Logiudice says reform of the EPBC Act is critical to securing a low-emission and prosperous Australia.

“Meeting our climate targets, increasing the supply of housing, restoring our competitiveness as a resources jurisdiction and realising the [Federal Government’s] Future Made in Australia ambitions all rely on successful reform of the EPBC Act,” she said.

“Resource sector projects are frequently stuck in assessment processes that exceed three years, providing clear evidence of the need to improve efficiency for both industry and regulators.

“If Australia is to seize the new opportunities presented by the energy transition and improve our productivity to deliver higher wages and a stronger national balance sheet, material reductions in assessment timeframes are essential.”

Last week, the Queensland Government released an energy roadmap outlining its plans to build a new gas-fired power plant and continue operating coal-fired power plants into 2050 to support the state’s energy transition.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Janette Hewson says governments hold the key to ensuring producers can meet growing demand.

“If we are to meet these targets, the federal and state governments need to work with industry to ensure approvals for new and expanded projects are achieved in a timely manner,” she said.

“Duplication between different agencies and both levels of government as well as excessive regulation means it’s taking too long for new projects to move from exploration to production.

“We can streamline the approvals process and provide community confidence that world-leading environmental and regulatory standards are maintained.

The reforms are expected to be introduced in WA before the end of the year.