Western Australia’s Parliament has passed significant reforms to the state’s environmental approval laws, marking the most substantial changes in a generation.
The Environmental Protection Act Amendment Bill 2024, introduced by the state government, aims to accelerate major job-creating projects while maintaining Western Australia’s world-class environmental standards.
The new legislation implements key recommendations from the Vogel-McFerran Review, which found existing approval processes to be overly complex, time-consuming, and costly.
One of the most significant changes allows other government regulators to process and issue their own approvals while Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) assessments are underway, potentially reducing project timelines.
Under the new laws, the Environment Minister will provide the EPA with a Statement of Expectation, helping to align the authority’s focus with government priorities such as the green energy transition, housing delivery, job creation, and environmental protection.
The EPA board will also see an expansion in membership, increasing from five to nine members, with a requirement for specific skills and experience relevant to the EPA’s functions.
The reforms also bring Western Australia in line with other Australian jurisdictions by removing appeals against EPA decisions not to assess a project, while maintaining reasonable appeal rights across the system.
Premier Roger Cook commented on the reforms, stating: “Our environmental reforms will slash green tape and reduce duplication while maintaining the highest environmental standards.
“These reforms fix longstanding issues in the approvals process to speed up timeframes, without taking away the EPA’s independence or changing the way it assesses a project.”
Environment Minister Reece Whitby emphasised that the changes will not alter how the EPA assesses environmental impact, describing them as “sensible changes that will streamline approval processes without compromising the EPA’s independence.”
The state government has already actioned 19 of the 39 recommendations from the Vogel-McFerran Review, including opening a CBD office hub for the EPA and introducing new recruitment and mentoring programs at the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
These reforms are part of the Cook Labor Government’s broader environmental agenda, which includes ending native logging, committing to retire all state-owned coal-fired power by 2030, and expanding Western Australia’s conservation estate.
The government anticipates that these changes will help position Western Australia as a global renewable energy leader while maintaining robust environmental protections.
For more information on the Environmental Protection Act Amendment Bill 2024, interested parties can visit the official StreamlineWA website.
