❓ Hon Robin Chapple questions the Minister for Environment regarding the Industry Working Group's recommendation to establish a single decision-making authority for mining and petroleum approvals, and the potential impact on the EPA's role. The Minister assures that environmental rigour will not be reduced.
AnsweredQoN 830Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
mining and petroleum approval processes — review
I refer to the review of the approval processes in Western Australia by the Industry Working Group, tabled in this house on Wednesday, 12 August 2009, specifically recommendation 6, phase 2, on page 61. (1) Does the minister support these recommendations—that is, to set up a single decision-making authority for all mining and petroleum approvals, with all other departments feeding in through that authority? (2) If yes to (1), why? (3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
I refer to the review of the approval processes in Western Australia by the Industry Working Group, tabled in this house on Wednesday, 12 August 2009, specifically recommendation 6, phase 2, on page 61. (1) Does the minister support these recommendations—that is, to set up a single decision-making authority for all mining and petroleum approvals, with all other departments feeding in through that authority? (2) If yes to (1), why? (3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(1) Does the minister support these recommendations—that is, to set up a single decision-making authority for all mining and petroleum approvals, with all other departments feeding in through that authority? (2) If yes to (1), why? (3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(2) If yes to (1), why? (3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(1) Does the minister support these recommendations—that is, to set up a single decision-making authority for all mining and petroleum approvals, with all other departments feeding in through that authority? (2) If yes to (1), why? (3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(2) If yes to (1), why? (3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(3) If no to (1), why not? (4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(4) If yes to (1), is the minister prepared to allow the Environmental Protection Authority to become merely an advisory body to the new decision-making authority? (5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(5) If no to (4), why not? (6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(6) If yes to (4), at what point in the recommendation approval process will the public have the opportunity to formally comment on the EPA’s recommendations? Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. (1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
(1)-(6) The Industry Working Group report, entitled “Review of Approval Processes in Western Australia”, was prepared for the Minister for Mines and Petroleum by industry representatives. This report and its recommendations, the environmental impact assessment review undertaken by the EPA and other reviews will be considered by the ministerial task force on approvals in determining changes to approval processes. I can assure the member that there is no intention to reduce the rigour of the environmental approvals processes or dilute the role of the Minister for Environment.
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