Coming hot on the heels of a similar ‘speed up’ agreement drafted in South Australia last week, public comment is now being sought on an agreement between the federal and NSW governments to streamline environmental regulation and speed up the approvals process for major projects.
The Agreements could potentially mean that new mining and gas projects get approved faster in NSW and South Australia. Public comment on a similar bilateral agreement in Queensland closed last month.
Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt said the new Agreements would deliver a more efficient process and create greater certainty for business.
“Under this agreement, NSW will be accredited to conduct a project assessment under national laws and provide the Australian Government with a recommendation on whether to approve a project and what conditions should be attached to that decision under federal environment law,” said Minister Hunt.
NSW Minister for Planning, Pru Goward, said that New South Wales will provide the Australian Government with rigorous and robust advice under national environment law.
“This will include jointly seeking expert advice from the Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development for projects that are likely to have a significant impact on a water resource.
“Importantly, opportunities and timelines for the community to have a say about major developments are not proposed to change. This is about reducing needless hold-ups caused by two governments passing projects back and forth between them while they are being assessed.
“It means that projects in NSW will go through a single, NSW process, to ensure that high environmental standards are maintained.”
Peak industry body, APPEA, welcomed the agreement opening up for public comment.
APPEA Chief Executive David Byers said industry strongly supported removing inefficient and unnecessary regulation that imposed project delays and increased costs for investors.
“At a time of global financial uncertainty and falling national income, governments across Australia must act to increase productivity and enhance our investment climate,” Mr Byers said.
“Addressing unnecessary regulation and reducing the compliance burden on industry is critical.
“Regulations that restrict innovation and flexibility, and impose unnecessary, duplicative or inconsistent bureaucratic processes unrelated to the risk of the activity and deliver no net benefit pose a real threat to ongoing investment, growth and prosperity.
“While many impacts on current and future investment, such as the high Australian dollar, are largely beyond the ability of industry or Governments to influence, other key challenges such as deregulation can and must be addressed.”
Mr Byers said the progress made by the Commonwealth, South Australian and Northern Territory Governments towards further streamlining of offshore petroleum regulation in coastal waters through the conferral of powers and functions on NOPSEMA was especially important for the offshore oil and gas industry.
Further information can be found at www.environment.gov.au/topics/environment-protection/environment-assessments/bilateral-agreements
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