Western Australian Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti today foreshadowed further reform to State environmental approvals at CCIWA’s Business Breakfast.
WA Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti and CCIWA Chief Economist Aaron Morey.
Ensuring accountability for environmental approvals reform is one of the five policy priorities of our State Election campaign, launched last week, which is focused on addressing WA’s growing pains.
At this morning’s event at Crown Perth, the Deputy Premier acknowledged CCIWA’s Green Web report and advocacy on the topic, saying it had informed the Government’s agenda.
“I acknowledge the CCI for the work that they did and the case studies that were presented to Government about lengthy delays in relation to processes,” she said to a room of CCIWA Members and business leaders.
“In many instances, it was a lack of visibility from us to seek to understand the consequences of some of those of those instances.”
Chief Economist Aaron Morey asked the Deputy Premier about the Government’s commitment to backing industry on changes to the State environmental approvals process.
“It’s incumbent on us to make sure that the teams in those agencies are both focused and resourced, and resourced to make sure that they know they’re part of the overall critical process.”
Deputy Premier Saffioti said the Government “will make sure we hold our agencies to account” and reduce “unnecessary red tape”.
“We have come a long way, and I say the issue with reform is that it’s never ending. Just when you think you’ve got somewhere, something else pops up,” she said.
No commitment to payroll tax reform
While the Deputy Premier was forthcoming with approval reform support, she would not commit to supporting small and family businesses by relieving the burden of payroll tax, another CCIWA State Election priority.
WA has the highest payroll tax burden of any state, putting WA businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
“It’s really unfair, particularly in this high cost of doing business environment,” Morey said when he questioned the Deputy Premier on the topic.
She responded with: “I have no announcements today. But we understand CCI and businesses always have pain but we have a responsibility to try and manage the entire economy … and we continue to make sure that we balance the priorities across the board.”
Morey said CCIWA will continue to advocate for payroll tax reform “because it is the number one issue that our Members identify”.
To be part of WA’s peak business organisation, get in touch via 1300 422 492 or [email protected].
