❓ Opposition questions Premier about funding for EPA staff and project approval delays, suggesting federal EPA could worsen the situation. Premier defends government actions, highlighting investments and legislative changes to streamline approvals.
AnsweredQoN 835Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AUTHORITY — PROJECT APPROVALS
835. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to the recent announcement
of additional funding for the Environmental Protection Authority staff aimed at
addressing Western Australia's notoriously slow environmental approval
processes. With the state election —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : With the
state election on 8 March 2025 fast approaching, I ask —
(1) How many
times over the past eight years has the Premier's government recycled
so-called funding allocations to fix this issue even as the average approval
times for WA mining projects has blown out from 77 days last year to 130 days
today?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members for
Cannington and Thornlie, please do not interject while the question is being
asked.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Continuing —
(2) Does the
proposed introduction of a federal EPA under Labor's nature positive
plan not risk creating even more delays for WA mining projects and threaten the
resources sector that drives our economy?
Point of Order
Dr A.D. BUTI : The opposition
always refers to federal government policy. Footnote 42 on page 29 of the
standing orders, under standing order 77, states —
Questions seeking information under
the control of another Government not allowed �
Yet the opposition continues to do
it.
The SPEAKER : The Premier will
of course respond to those matters that he is in control of and that are
relevant.
Questions without Notice Resumed
AUTHORITY — PROJECT APPROVALS
835. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Premier:
I refer to the recent announcement
of additional funding for the Environmental Protection Authority staff aimed at
addressing Western Australia's notoriously slow environmental approval
processes. With the state election —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : With the
state election on 8 March 2025 fast approaching, I ask —
(1) How many
times over the past eight years has the Premier's government recycled
so-called funding allocations to fix this issue even as the average approval
times for WA mining projects has blown out from 77 days last year to 130 days
today?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members for
Cannington and Thornlie, please do not interject while the question is being
asked.
Mr P.J. RUNDLE : Continuing —
(2) Does the
proposed introduction of a federal EPA under Labor's nature positive
plan not risk creating even more delays for WA mining projects and threaten the
resources sector that drives our economy?
Point of Order
Dr A.D. BUTI : The opposition
always refers to federal government policy. Footnote 42 on page 29 of the
standing orders, under standing order 77, states —
Questions seeking information under
the control of another Government not allowed �
Yet the opposition continues to do
it.
The SPEAKER : The Premier will
of course respond to those matters that he is in control of and that are
relevant.
Questions without Notice Resumed
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. It provides me with an opportunity to talk
about the changes that we have made in relation to the environmental protection
laws in Western Australia and the way that the Environmental Protection
Authority operates. Maintaining high environmental standards is fundamental to Western
Australia's national and international reputation to provide certainty
and security for investors that their funds are not going to projects that will
unnecessarily have negative impacts on the environment. We need to make sure that we maintain standards. We understand the
importance of making sure that we get projects to fruition as soon as
possible, particularly in sectors of high economic priority to Western Australia.
In particular, we recently introduced laws that have passed both houses—I
cannot recall off the top of my head whether the member supported them or not—about
making sure that we make commonsense changes to the way that assessments are
taken. The primary detail of this is that the legislation provides for parallel
processing so that a company or a proponent can get a secondary approval
underway while waiting for the primary approval under the EPA processes to be
conducted. This will cut months, if not years, off the approval processes for
major projects. It is a very important part of making sure that we continue to
drive reform in the area of project approvals and support of industry. We
continue to make sure that the laws that we bring into this place continue to
support businesses.
One other change was to provide
the power for the minister to provide a letter of expectation to the EPA so
that the EPA can be informed of the government's priorities,
particularly in terms of broader economic and social issues, so it can focus on
the most pertinent things at the time. I stress that it does not go to the
integrity of the assessment process itself. That still remains an important
part of what we do in terms of environmental protection. However, it provides
some commonsense changes to the administration to ensure that the process
operates more smoothly.
Another change we made was to the
size of the board and the range of expertise that gets brought to the board
table for the Environmental Protection Authority—again, making sure
that it is cognisant of the whole range of issues that impact upon the approval
process.
Of
course, one of things we have done is make significant investment in resources
available to the EPA so that it can deal with the plethora of our
projects that have been brought to its attention because investment is eager to
come to Western Australia to take advantage of our ecosystem of approvals,
support and prosperity that comes with
standing up a project in Western Australia. In particular, we brought
significant investment to the EPA to increase the number of staff by
about 270. Of those staff, 93 per cent are now in place; that is, 255 staff
have now come into the EPA, which provides an opportunity for the EPA not to be
flooded with applications and allows those staff to make careful consideration
of projects they are there to assess.
I announced further funding the other
day. I think it was $14 million to provide more staff to the EPA, but in
particular the Office of the Appeals Convenor so that it can deal with the
objections and appeals that take place under the EPA.
I thank the member for the question.
It pitches into one of our key drivers that we are doing to make sure that we maintain Western Australia as the
strongest economy in Western Australia. It will get job-producing projects up and running and we can
continue to move as swiftly possible through the energy transition under our
clean energy plan. We will continue to make sure that projects that bring jobs,
prosperity and economic wealth to Western Australia are approved in the best
time possible.
Madam
Speaker, I will conclude by saying that I talk to businesses day in, day out
and I have the opportunity to hear their perspectives. They tell me that
that in terms of the work that the government is doing on the environmental
approvals process, Western Australia is now amongst the best in the nation and
it is the place they want to do business. I congratulate the Minister for
Environment for the work that he has done to bring in these reforms. The Vogel–McFerran
review was an important opportunity for us to reform in this area and we are
very proud of the work that has been done.
thank the member for the question. It provides me with an opportunity to talk
about the changes that we have made in relation to the environmental protection
laws in Western Australia and the way that the Environmental Protection
Authority operates. Maintaining high environmental standards is fundamental to Western
Australia's national and international reputation to provide certainty
and security for investors that their funds are not going to projects that will
unnecessarily have negative impacts on the environment. We need to make sure that we maintain standards. We understand the
importance of making sure that we get projects to fruition as soon as
possible, particularly in sectors of high economic priority to Western Australia.
In particular, we recently introduced laws that have passed both houses—I
cannot recall off the top of my head whether the member supported them or not—about
making sure that we make commonsense changes to the way that assessments are
taken. The primary detail of this is that the legislation provides for parallel
processing so that a company or a proponent can get a secondary approval
underway while waiting for the primary approval under the EPA processes to be
conducted. This will cut months, if not years, off the approval processes for
major projects. It is a very important part of making sure that we continue to
drive reform in the area of project approvals and support of industry. We
continue to make sure that the laws that we bring into this place continue to
support businesses.
One other change was to provide
the power for the minister to provide a letter of expectation to the EPA so
that the EPA can be informed of the government's priorities,
particularly in terms of broader economic and social issues, so it can focus on
the most pertinent things at the time. I stress that it does not go to the
integrity of the assessment process itself. That still remains an important
part of what we do in terms of environmental protection. However, it provides
some commonsense changes to the administration to ensure that the process
operates more smoothly.
Another change we made was to the
size of the board and the range of expertise that gets brought to the board
table for the Environmental Protection Authority—again, making sure
that it is cognisant of the whole range of issues that impact upon the approval
process.
Of
course, one of things we have done is make significant investment in resources
available to the EPA so that it can deal with the plethora of our
projects that have been brought to its attention because investment is eager to
come to Western Australia to take advantage of our ecosystem of approvals,
support and prosperity that comes with
standing up a project in Western Australia. In particular, we brought
significant investment to the EPA to increase the number of staff by
about 270. Of those staff, 93 per cent are now in place; that is, 255 staff
have now come into the EPA, which provides an opportunity for the EPA not to be
flooded with applications and allows those staff to make careful consideration
of projects they are there to assess.
I announced further funding the other
day. I think it was $14 million to provide more staff to the EPA, but in
particular the Office of the Appeals Convenor so that it can deal with the
objections and appeals that take place under the EPA.
I thank the member for the question.
It pitches into one of our key drivers that we are doing to make sure that we maintain Western Australia as the
strongest economy in Western Australia. It will get job-producing projects up and running and we can
continue to move as swiftly possible through the energy transition under our
clean energy plan. We will continue to make sure that projects that bring jobs,
prosperity and economic wealth to Western Australia are approved in the best
time possible.
Madam
Speaker, I will conclude by saying that I talk to businesses day in, day out
and I have the opportunity to hear their perspectives. They tell me that
that in terms of the work that the government is doing on the environmental
approvals process, Western Australia is now amongst the best in the nation and
it is the place they want to do business. I congratulate the Minister for
Environment for the work that he has done to bring in these reforms. The Vogel–McFerran
review was an important opportunity for us to reform in this area and we are
very proud of the work that has been done.
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