❓ The Minister for Environment outlines changes to environmental regulation licensing, extending licence durations up to 20 years to reduce administrative burden and focus on compliance.
AnsweredQoN 948Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REPEAL
WEEK — ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION LICENSING
948. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Environment:
As part of Repeal Week, the minister announced changes to
environmental regulation licensing earlier today. Can the minister please
outline what these changes mean?
Mr D.A. Templeman :
None of us know!
WEEK — ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION LICENSING
948. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Environment:
As part of Repeal Week, the minister announced changes to
environmental regulation licensing earlier today. Can the minister please
outline what these changes mean?
Mr D.A. Templeman :
None of us know!
AnswerView source ↗
Picking up on that interjection from the member for Mandurah,
I will try to make it a bit clearer for him if I can.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah!
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
thank the member for Geraldton for this question. I know that deregulation in
this area is a particular passion of his. In the spirit of Repeal Week, it is
appropriate to announce to the house the new guidance statement that has been
released by the Department of Environment Regulation. This guidance statement
facilitates licences under part V of the Environmental Protection Act to be
granted for extended durations. For the benefit of those members who may not be
familiar with the Environmental Protection Act, the act broadly has a part IV
and a part V. Part V of the Environmental Protection Act deals with the most
significant of environmental approvals, essentially those approvals that would
go through the full EPA —
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie–Preston and the Minister for Sport and Recreation, I
think you both should go outside to finish your conversation.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Part IV of the EP act deals with those EPA processes—the more
significant proposals—but under that is a whole swathe of environmental
approvals still done under part V of the EP act, and they apply to some 1 000
or so premises licensed through the Department of Environment Regulation. Those
licences apply to places such as soil blenders, composters, abattoirs, concrete
batching plants, asphalt batching plants and the like.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr A.P. JACOB : All
those are very significant industries for community infrastructure throughout
the state. Essentially, we have brought in a sensible reform and deregulation
process for those 975 licensed premises. In the past, licences have generally
been granted for between one and five years under part V of the EP act. New
longer term licences allowing for up to 20-year licensing will significantly
reduce the administrative burden on both industry and the department. Rather
than resources being directed to rolling renewals of environmental licences, it
will allow them to be directed to greater environmental protection, compliance
and ensuring that the licences perform as we would hope. This approach is
consistent with other Western Australian processes in which approvals are
already granted for extended or, indeed, in some cases, indefinite periods such
as some of those part IV approvals through the EPA and also, for example, some
leases under the Mining Act. Under this new system, the Department of
Environment Regulation will determine the appropriate duration of a licence
over the next 20 years or so by considering a number of different factors such
as planning approval and when that might apply to a licensed premises. As those
licences roll around for renewal, they will be prioritised and will also be
staggered. For example, we currently renew an average of four licences a week
and we hope we can reduce that to one licence a week and focus our departmental
resources into ensuring compliance and that those licences are working as
required, rather than just simply doing administrative churn of renewal for
renewals' sake.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Granting of licences for longer duration will not in any way reduce the
regulatory impact of those licences or our ability to successfully regulate
industrial practices. In fact, it should strengthen the resources that we put
into that area and that is where the focus should be. It should also have a
significant benefit for industry because those licence holders, many of them
smaller businesses, rather than them having to put their resources into
continual renewal —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Member for Cannington, I hope you have now finished with your conversation.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Rather than industry having to put its resources continually
into renewals, industry can focus those resources back on ensuring that its own
compliance is continually up to scratch and we can put our resources into
ensuring that that compliance is happening. This new approach will result in a
reduced regulatory burden as well as improved environmental protection
standards through that better targeting of resources. I think it will be very
welcome and sensible.
I will try to make it a bit clearer for him if I can.
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah!
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
thank the member for Geraldton for this question. I know that deregulation in
this area is a particular passion of his. In the spirit of Repeal Week, it is
appropriate to announce to the house the new guidance statement that has been
released by the Department of Environment Regulation. This guidance statement
facilitates licences under part V of the Environmental Protection Act to be
granted for extended durations. For the benefit of those members who may not be
familiar with the Environmental Protection Act, the act broadly has a part IV
and a part V. Part V of the Environmental Protection Act deals with the most
significant of environmental approvals, essentially those approvals that would
go through the full EPA —
The SPEAKER :
Member for Collie–Preston and the Minister for Sport and Recreation, I
think you both should go outside to finish your conversation.
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Part IV of the EP act deals with those EPA processes—the more
significant proposals—but under that is a whole swathe of environmental
approvals still done under part V of the EP act, and they apply to some 1 000
or so premises licensed through the Department of Environment Regulation. Those
licences apply to places such as soil blenders, composters, abattoirs, concrete
batching plants, asphalt batching plants and the like.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mr A.P. JACOB : All
those are very significant industries for community infrastructure throughout
the state. Essentially, we have brought in a sensible reform and deregulation
process for those 975 licensed premises. In the past, licences have generally
been granted for between one and five years under part V of the EP act. New
longer term licences allowing for up to 20-year licensing will significantly
reduce the administrative burden on both industry and the department. Rather
than resources being directed to rolling renewals of environmental licences, it
will allow them to be directed to greater environmental protection, compliance
and ensuring that the licences perform as we would hope. This approach is
consistent with other Western Australian processes in which approvals are
already granted for extended or, indeed, in some cases, indefinite periods such
as some of those part IV approvals through the EPA and also, for example, some
leases under the Mining Act. Under this new system, the Department of
Environment Regulation will determine the appropriate duration of a licence
over the next 20 years or so by considering a number of different factors such
as planning approval and when that might apply to a licensed premises. As those
licences roll around for renewal, they will be prioritised and will also be
staggered. For example, we currently renew an average of four licences a week
and we hope we can reduce that to one licence a week and focus our departmental
resources into ensuring compliance and that those licences are working as
required, rather than just simply doing administrative churn of renewal for
renewals' sake.
Ms
R. Saffioti interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan!
Mr A.P. JACOB :
Granting of licences for longer duration will not in any way reduce the
regulatory impact of those licences or our ability to successfully regulate
industrial practices. In fact, it should strengthen the resources that we put
into that area and that is where the focus should be. It should also have a
significant benefit for industry because those licence holders, many of them
smaller businesses, rather than them having to put their resources into
continual renewal —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for West Swan, I call you to order for the first time.
Member for Cannington, I hope you have now finished with your conversation.
Mr
A.P. JACOB : Rather than industry having to put its resources continually
into renewals, industry can focus those resources back on ensuring that its own
compliance is continually up to scratch and we can put our resources into
ensuring that that compliance is happening. This new approach will result in a
reduced regulatory burden as well as improved environmental protection
standards through that better targeting of resources. I think it will be very
welcome and sensible.
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