Western Australia has been snubbed by a Senate Committee investigating the planned overhaul of Australia’s environmental approvals system, despite the oversized impact of the changes on the state.
The Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee will only hold one public hearing on the radical “Nature Positive” changes, in Canberra.
The legislation currently before Parliament will establish a national Environmental Protection Agency, potentially duplicating or delaying approvals for economy-shaping projects in mining, construction, clean energy, agriculture, and other key sectors.
CCIWA wrote to the Committee in June, outlining why it was vital for hearings to be held in WA.
CCIWA Chief Economist, Aaron Morey, said the decision not to visit WA is an insult to the State.
“When you consider that almost 30% of projects requiring federal approval in 2023 were located in WA, it’s disappointing that members of the Committee will not be visiting this state to hear directly from the businesses and industries that will be impacted,” he said.
“WA will be impacted by these proposed changes more than any other jurisdiction.”
“WA is the nation’s economic powerhouse and the industries that are most concerned about the proposed changes drive a significant portion of our nation’s wealth.
“It’s already taking too long for major projects to be approved. This suite of radical changes threatens to blow out timelines and budgets, which will threaten the viability of these projects that underpin WA’s economy.”
CCIWA will make a detailed submission to the Committee inquiry, highlighting serious concerns about how the proposed national EPA will operate.
These concerns include the fact that the Chief Executive Officer of the EPA cannot be dismissed for mismanagement unless the Governor General intervenes, and will not be answerable to a board.
“The CEO of this new body will be the most protected public servant in the country, and they’ll hold in their hands the fate of every major project,” Mr Morey said.
“There is very little scope for the social or economic benefits of a project to be considered when deciding on an approval.
Mr Morey said the proposal to add another layer of environmental approvals was fundamentally flawed, given CCIWA’s estimate that $318 billion worth or projects were already in the approvals pipeline in WA alone.
“The addition of a new federal body that will duplicate the work of the state EPA, but with poorer governance and a narrower scope of considerations won’t lead to better outcomes for the Environment,” he said.
“It will simply frustrate project proponents and jeopardise jobs and economic growth in WA.”
CCIWA will plan to travel to Canberra to appear before the Committee on July 26th.
