CCIWA is continuing to call on the Federal Government to abandon the ‘Nature Positive’ Bill, currently before Parliament, which is proposing to establish a new national bureaucracy to oversee environmental approvals.
With eight days of Parliament left of the year for the senate to pass legislation, a survey commissioned by ACT Independent Senator David Pocock reportedly shows voters “want to see a national environmental regulator that is independent of government”.
The reforms include forming a Canberra-based bureaucracy that will have the power to stop major projects without considering the social or economic benefits.
These would include projects in renewable energy, energy infrastructure, housing, mining and public infrastructure like roads and railways.
‘Nature positive will be jobs negative’
CCIWA believes that if such major projects can’t go ahead, it will mean less revenue for the Federal Government, less jobs and lead to higher taxes on everyday goods – during a cost-of-living crisis.
It could also slow Australia’s decarbonisation efforts as renewable energy projects would be caught in green tape.
CCIWA Chief Economist Aaron Morey says the reforms sound positive in theory, but the devil is in the detail.
“The great myth around these reforms is that somehow adding an extra layer of green tape and paperwork is going to lead to better environmental outcomes,” Morey says.
“WA in particular has a rigorous, world-leading approvals system that adequately balances environmental outcomes with infrastructure, jobs and the economy.
“Creating a duplicate agency in Canberra, which is less accountable and has a more limited scope, won’t automatically be ‘nature positive’ – but it will be jobs negative.”
WA’s environmental approval system already works
Morey says Senator Pocock’s survey failed to tell its respondents that an environmental regulator already exists in WA, and is viewed as among the best in the world.
“Rarely has there been a better example of a solution in search of a problem. We are in lock step with the WA Premier on this,” he says.
Morey says Canberra bureaucrats should have no place telling WA how to manage its environment and its economy
“They are so out of touch with the reality on the ground, and seemingly oblivious to the vast contribution we make to the nation’s wealth,” he says.
“Nobody disagrees that we need to better protect the environment, but the system needs to get the balance right.
“Nature Positive is a recipe for more green tape, fewer jobs and higher costs to build the infrastructure we need.”
A CCIWA survey of businesses in June found 60% of respondents answered, ‘yes’ to the question: “Do you think the Federal Minister for Environment should be accountable for making decisions on whether major projects should proceed?”
This survey question formed part of CCIWA’s submission to the Government’s review into the Nature Positive Bill.
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