The state government will formalise its new lead agency framework and a string of legislative changes as part of its plan to overhaul Western Australia cumbersome approvals processes.
The state government will formalise its new lead agency framework and a string of legislative changes as part of its plan to overhaul Western Australia cumbersome approvals processes.
At a function last night, Premier Colin Barnett said the changes would help to deliver more decisions quickly, and avoid the loss of another project like Inpex's Ichthys.
"We must create and maximise the opportunities presented by attracting investment in the State and ensuring that investment provides long-term benefits for all Western Australians. We need an approvals system that welcomes investment and stimulates economic development, not stymie it," he said.
The lead agency framework works by determining specific government departments as the first point of call for a project, with the Department of State Development the lead agency for major resource projects like Gorgon and Oakajee.
The Department of Planning is the lead agency for projects such as the sinking of the Northbridge rail line and the Perth waterfront development while the Department of Regional Development and Lands will be responsible for developments like Ord River Stage Two.
The Department of Mines and Petroleum is the lead agency for the emerging uranium sector.
The government will also introduce on-line monitoring of approvals for any project, including smaller, less complex projects, to allow proponents to see where their application is at and enable government to monitor what stage proponents are at in their submission of relevant material for approval.
The announcement is below:
The Liberal-National Government has continued to deliver on its commitment to overhaul and streamline the State's cumbersome and inefficient approvals processes.
Addressing the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association last night, Premier Colin Barnett announced a new lead agency framework and a suite of legislative changes that would help deliver more decisions, more quickly for the betterment of the State's future.
"Western Australia is on the cusp of another period of significant economic activity and growth. The Liberal-National Government is committed to ensuring this is a sustained period of economic development over at least the next 20 years," Mr Barnett said.
"We must create and maximise the opportunities presented by attracting investment in the State and ensuring that investment provides long-term benefits for all Western Australians. We need an approvals system that welcomes investment and stimulates economic development, not stymie it.
"With strong and sustained economic growth comes schools, hospitals, the development of towns and the provision of help and support for the most vulnerable in our community.
"The Liberal-National Government has a different attitude towards projects, approvals and the State's prosperity than the previous government. We are not prepared to lose another Inpex."
The new lead agency framework will work by determining specific government departments as the first point of call for a project. It formalises process implemented by the Liberal-National Government over previous months.
The relevant department will then help the proponent through the approvals process throughout agencies. The lead agency will then provide the proponent with a custom level of service depending on the size, scale and significance of the project.
The Department of State Development is the lead agency on major resource projects like Gorgon and Oakajee.
The Department of Planning is the lead agency for projects like the sinking of the Northbridge rail line and the Perth waterfront development.
The Department of Regional Development and Lands is the lead agency for developments like Ord River Stage Two.
The Department of Mines and Petroleum is the lead agency for the emerging uranium sector.
"The lead agency framework means that proponents will know which agency is dealing with their proposal and receives a custom level of service. In doing so, it ensures smaller developers are able to gain the necessary approvals," the Premier said.
"The new process will be streamlined without compromising environmental, heritage and planning approvals.
"This reform will ensure that the fragmented approach previously taken to approvals is rectified. It will lead to more responsive and co-ordinated services."
The Government will also introduce on-line monitoring of approvals for any project, including smaller, less complex projects, to allow proponents to see where their application is at and enable government to monitor what stage proponents are at in their submission of relevant material for approval.
A Ministerial taskforce on Approvals, Development and Sustainability, established earlier this year, has also developed four Bills to streamline the approval system:
- The 'Streamlining Measures (Mining) Amendment Bill' will amend the Mining Act to create dedicated railways licenses to allow both non-State Agreement and State Agreement companies to connect their operations to a port via rail. This addresses a legal issue which has existed for several years and will undoubtedly provide certainty and clarity to some of WA's mining and exploration companies
- The 'Streamlining Measures (Environment) Amendment Bill' amends the Environmental Protection Act to consolidate the appeals process by removing duplicative appeal points. Amendments are also made to remove the constraint on decision makers to give approval to minor and preliminary works when a project has been referred or is being assessed by the EPA. This will have a positive impact on parallel processing
- The third Bill, the 'Streamlining Measures (Planning) Amendment Bill' introduces a raft of amendments as well as a significant new measure to the Planning and Development Act. Extensive public consultation is currently under way for these amendments
- Finally, the 'Streamlining Measures (Crown Land) Amendment Bill' will ensure that delegation under some Acts can be used more effectively.
"Soon after winning Government, decisions were made to begin streamlining the approvals process, with a view to longer-term reforms to be introduced that would put WA on par with leading systems across the world," Mr Barnett said.
"This Government is translating its commitment into practical improvements to the State's approvals processes, ensuring we have a robust, credible, transparent approvals system that is easy to understand and navigate, and provides certainty.
"Already through action taken earlier this year, we have reduced the backlog in mining tenement applications from 18,000 to 8,900, doubled the rate of planning approvals compared to the previous Minister and, in terms of environmental approvals, assessed 445 appeals from 93 proposals, including those on major and complex projects such as Gorgon and Gindalbie."
