❓ Mr. Cowper asks about the state government's efforts to reduce red tape in the resources sector and boost employment. The Minister for Mines and Petroleum details initiatives such as online processes, extended program of works durations, and the introduction of the mining rehabilitation fund and exploration incentive scheme.
AnsweredQoN 1003Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
RESOURCES
SECTOR — RED TAPE REDUCTION
1003. Mr M.J. COWPER to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the minister please explain to the house how the state
government has been progressively removing unnecessary red tape in our
resources sector and getting some employment back into the state?
SECTOR — RED TAPE REDUCTION
1003. Mr M.J. COWPER to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the minister please explain to the house how the state
government has been progressively removing unnecessary red tape in our
resources sector and getting some employment back into the state?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Murray–Wellington for a very
good question. Before I answer the question, I acknowledge from this side, the
year 11 politics class from Scotch College, because my son is in year 11 at
Scotch, but he is not doing politics—sorry!
Mr
C.J. Barnett : Good advice!
Mr
W.R. MARMION : It is good advice from his father.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The theme today in reducing red tape, which this government has done a great
deal about in the last 12 months, is making life easier. Today I will talk
about what is making life easier for the mining industry, which, as the member
for Murray–Wellington knows, is very important because the mining
industry is essential to Western Australia's economy. Without the
mining industry, there are no jobs and no economic activity in the regions, and
the royalties we get, pay for essential services such as hospitals and
education.
Some of the things we have done to make life easier in the
mining industry is put things online so that filling in forms is easier online.
It reduces time. For instance, a program of works used to last for only one
year. We increased it to two years and now it lasts for four years. It can be
done online. Indeed, a program of works now takes only 28 days to be approved,
whereas only two years ago, it took 45 days. Therefore, there has been a 40 per
cent decrease in the time it takes to get a program of works approved. We
expect a 50 per cent decrease in the time it takes to get mining proposals
approved now that they are combined with the vegetation clearing permit and
they can all be done at once. The other way we have made life easier for mining
is by increasing the core library viewing area for industry. It currently takes
three to four months to book a spot, and we hope to get that down to two
months.
If you, Mr Speaker, ask industry what has made life easier,
without a doubt the answer you would get would be two things: one is the
introduction of the mining rehabilitation fund and the other is the
introduction of the exploration incentive scheme, which the member for
Kalgoorlie had recommended to us. Both these schemes have made life a lot
easier for the mining industry. Without those two initiatives by this
government, there would not be the amount of exploration that is occurring at
the moment in a difficult time. I point out that four companies have done very
well out of the exploration incentive scheme and have increased their
resources. This indicates that there is still activity, even though there are
depressed mining prices—I refer to Panoramic Resources, Doray Minerals
Ltd, La Mancha Resources, and Gold Road Resources Ltd with its discovery at
Gruyere. We have made sure that life has been made easier for the mining
industry through the great initiatives we have introduced in Western Australia.
good question. Before I answer the question, I acknowledge from this side, the
year 11 politics class from Scotch College, because my son is in year 11 at
Scotch, but he is not doing politics—sorry!
Mr
C.J. Barnett : Good advice!
Mr
W.R. MARMION : It is good advice from his father.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The theme today in reducing red tape, which this government has done a great
deal about in the last 12 months, is making life easier. Today I will talk
about what is making life easier for the mining industry, which, as the member
for Murray–Wellington knows, is very important because the mining
industry is essential to Western Australia's economy. Without the
mining industry, there are no jobs and no economic activity in the regions, and
the royalties we get, pay for essential services such as hospitals and
education.
Some of the things we have done to make life easier in the
mining industry is put things online so that filling in forms is easier online.
It reduces time. For instance, a program of works used to last for only one
year. We increased it to two years and now it lasts for four years. It can be
done online. Indeed, a program of works now takes only 28 days to be approved,
whereas only two years ago, it took 45 days. Therefore, there has been a 40 per
cent decrease in the time it takes to get a program of works approved. We
expect a 50 per cent decrease in the time it takes to get mining proposals
approved now that they are combined with the vegetation clearing permit and
they can all be done at once. The other way we have made life easier for mining
is by increasing the core library viewing area for industry. It currently takes
three to four months to book a spot, and we hope to get that down to two
months.
If you, Mr Speaker, ask industry what has made life easier,
without a doubt the answer you would get would be two things: one is the
introduction of the mining rehabilitation fund and the other is the
introduction of the exploration incentive scheme, which the member for
Kalgoorlie had recommended to us. Both these schemes have made life a lot
easier for the mining industry. Without those two initiatives by this
government, there would not be the amount of exploration that is occurring at
the moment in a difficult time. I point out that four companies have done very
well out of the exploration incentive scheme and have increased their
resources. This indicates that there is still activity, even though there are
depressed mining prices—I refer to Panoramic Resources, Doray Minerals
Ltd, La Mancha Resources, and Gold Road Resources Ltd with its discovery at
Gruyere. We have made sure that life has been made easier for the mining
industry through the great initiatives we have introduced in Western Australia.
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