❓ Ms. Duncan (Kalgoorlie) asks about progress reducing mining approval backlogs. The Minister details improvements since the previous Labor government, citing investment in online systems and legislative reforms, aiming for a manageable level of pending tenements.
AnsweredQoN 172Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINING — APPROVALS BACKLOG
172. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum:
Minister, as the member for
Kalgoorlie I know firsthand that the Liberal–National government —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms
W.M. DUNCAN : Minister, as the member for Kalgoorlie, I know firsthand that
the Liberal–National government is committed to continue to improve
mining approval time frames. Can the minister please update the house on the
government's progress in reducing the backlog of mining approvals?
172. Ms W.M. DUNCAN to the Minister for Mines and
Petroleum:
Minister, as the member for
Kalgoorlie I know firsthand that the Liberal–National government —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms
W.M. DUNCAN : Minister, as the member for Kalgoorlie, I know firsthand that
the Liberal–National government is committed to continue to improve
mining approval time frames. Can the minister please update the house on the
government's progress in reducing the backlog of mining approvals?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kalgoorlie
for yet another deeply probing question on mining. It is fair to say that a
criticism of the former Labor government was the backlog of pending mineral
title applications. To put this into some sort of context, though, in some
fairness, currently 23 324 tenements are in force in Western Australia. During
our last term, we invested $3 million into an online approvals lodgement and
tracking system, and the results have been very good. Just to compare, in 2007,
there were 17 000 pending applications, and currently now, in 2013, there are 6
000 pending applications. That is a significant improvement, not only through
the tracking system, but also through legislative reform, streamlining
administration, and new business systems, and we also had a special backlog
team in the department. More recently, a team of native title experts are
assisting Department of Mines and Petroleum project officers in targeting
stalled mining lease applications within the future act right-to-negotiate
process. This is to reduce any possible likelihood of deliberate parking of
tenements. We have also rolled out the native title component of the department's
tenure database, called EMITS—electronic mining tenement register
system—which was rolled out in 2011. This has also greatly assisted in
streamlining NTA notices.
This does actually raise the
question: what is a suitable manageable amount of pending tenements? It is my
view that around 4 000 or 4 500 is probably what we should be aiming for, which
is equivalent to the number of new tenement applications that we receive each
year. We have still got some work to do, member for Kalgoorlie. Through our
election commitments, firstly with $10 million, we will expand the existing
approvals tracking system. Secondly, with $8 million, we will develop a
publicly available, online biodiversity water and cultural heritage database
and library. Through these two election commitments, the systems will be more
transparent and more efficient. Why are we doing this? We aim to make WA the
destination of choice.
Point of Order
Ms M.M. QUIRK : I refer to the
standing order in relation to needless repetition. I note that the minister was
asked the same question on 16 May 2013 and, I might add, we are receiving much
the same answer.
The SPEAKER : Minister, conclude.
Questions without Notice
Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION : I conclude: why
are we doing this? It is obvious why we are doing this.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! Thank you for that point of order, member for Girrawheen.
It is very interesting indeed.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I am on my very last sentence, Mr Speaker. Why are we doing
this?
Several members interjected.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : Apart from making the approvals process better, we want to
make WA the destination of choice for the whole world, for mining and
exploration capital investment.
for yet another deeply probing question on mining. It is fair to say that a
criticism of the former Labor government was the backlog of pending mineral
title applications. To put this into some sort of context, though, in some
fairness, currently 23 324 tenements are in force in Western Australia. During
our last term, we invested $3 million into an online approvals lodgement and
tracking system, and the results have been very good. Just to compare, in 2007,
there were 17 000 pending applications, and currently now, in 2013, there are 6
000 pending applications. That is a significant improvement, not only through
the tracking system, but also through legislative reform, streamlining
administration, and new business systems, and we also had a special backlog
team in the department. More recently, a team of native title experts are
assisting Department of Mines and Petroleum project officers in targeting
stalled mining lease applications within the future act right-to-negotiate
process. This is to reduce any possible likelihood of deliberate parking of
tenements. We have also rolled out the native title component of the department's
tenure database, called EMITS—electronic mining tenement register
system—which was rolled out in 2011. This has also greatly assisted in
streamlining NTA notices.
This does actually raise the
question: what is a suitable manageable amount of pending tenements? It is my
view that around 4 000 or 4 500 is probably what we should be aiming for, which
is equivalent to the number of new tenement applications that we receive each
year. We have still got some work to do, member for Kalgoorlie. Through our
election commitments, firstly with $10 million, we will expand the existing
approvals tracking system. Secondly, with $8 million, we will develop a
publicly available, online biodiversity water and cultural heritage database
and library. Through these two election commitments, the systems will be more
transparent and more efficient. Why are we doing this? We aim to make WA the
destination of choice.
Point of Order
Ms M.M. QUIRK : I refer to the
standing order in relation to needless repetition. I note that the minister was
asked the same question on 16 May 2013 and, I might add, we are receiving much
the same answer.
The SPEAKER : Minister, conclude.
Questions without Notice
Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION : I conclude: why
are we doing this? It is obvious why we are doing this.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! Thank you for that point of order, member for Girrawheen.
It is very interesting indeed.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I am on my very last sentence, Mr Speaker. Why are we doing
this?
Several members interjected.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : Apart from making the approvals process better, we want to
make WA the destination of choice for the whole world, for mining and
exploration capital investment.
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