CCIWA has welcomed the passage of the State Development through State Parliament, paving the way for faster and more efficient approvals for economy-shaping projects.
The Bill will allow the State Development Minister and a newly established Coordinator General to expedite projects that will deliver significant strategic economic or community benefit, while maintaining WA’s world-leading environmental and cultural heritage standards.
CCIWA’s Head of Policy, Dr Anthea Wesley, said the reforms will slash red tape and attract more investment to WA.
“One of the biggest barriers to investment in major projects right across Australia is the length of time it takes to navigate red and green tape,” she said.
“These delays not only take time, they’re also costly.
“By focusing on streamlining those processes, we expect to see more global investment flowing into WA.”
It is expected the new State Development powers will apply to a range of projects in key areas, including critical minerals, renewable energy and defence.
“While we want to see our mining sector go from strength to strength, it’s absolutely vital that WA works to diversify its economy and these reforms will help the state to achieve that.”
Dr Wesley said giving government the ability to expedite projects will be significant in the context of the energy transition.
“In a relatively short timeframe, WA will need an infrastructure revolution as part of the switch to cleaner energy – transmission lines, poles, solar and wind farms to name just a few,” she said.
“Currently, renewable energy projects can take five to six years to be approved due to the protracted and complex approvals process.
“Having an agile and adaptive set of regulations will make it easier for WA to reach its energy transition goals.”
