The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) has welcomed the WA Government’s efforts to simplify the approval processes for the state’s mining sector.
“CME has been a vocal contributor to the WA Government’s Streamline WA initiative, the Vogel Review into the approvals system, and the red tape reduction review,” CME chief executive Rebecca Tomkinson said.
“The Environment Minister’s expanded directions mean the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Authority) backlog for projects of state significance can be triaged and urgent projects can be prioritised which, along with a more efficient approvals process overall, is a positive step.”
The Mining Development and Closure Proposals (MDCP) was first revealed in May, aiming to increase efficiency of applications for mining operations and assessment by removing the duplicate information required under the current process.
This week, a reference group for the MDCP framework is set to provide input into draft guidance materials to support applicants developing a submission.
Tomkinson said CME is looking forward to working with the expertise of the EPA board and seeing the recommendation and improvements in action as soon as possible.
“The energy transition is being driven by precisely the sorts of critical minerals that WA is able to extract, process and supply to the world, but the window of opportunity will not stay open indefinitely and regulatory processes needed to align with energy transition urgency,” she said.
“We have only six years left to 2030. The world won’t wait for us to complete our approvals processes as it races towards a lower carbon economy.
“In terms of supply chain security, production value and ESG reliability, there is no net-zero without Western Australia, so it makes sense for governments to clear the path of red tape and let industry get on with providing the materials needed for the global energy transition.”
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