Murray Watt returns to WA in ‘flat out’ bid to land overhaul of environment laws

Murray Watt is “going flat out” to overhaul Australia’s creaky environmental laws, backed by Premier Roger Cook’s promise to help fast-track reforms The Environment Minister made a low-key trip to Perth on Tuesday to update key players on progress of a revamped version of the laws that the resources industry and environmental advocates agree are broken. He said industry, environment groups and State Governments wanted the reforms done and done quickly. “From the environment groups’ perspective, their feeling is that the current laws are seeing environmental destruction, so they want to see new laws sooner rather than later for environmental protection reasons,” Senator Watt told The West. “From industry’s point of view, they see the current laws as an obstacle to getting projects approved, so they want reform quickly. “We’re going flat out to get these reforms moving as quickly as we can.” While reluctant to set a deadline, he is aiming to get it done by the middle of the term – roughly this time next year – and said he’d take any opportunity to move things faster. Senator Watt met Mr Cook, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA’s board, the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, WA’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and environmental groups during his under-the-radar trip on Tuesday. His travel west shortly after being sworn into the portfolio in May – his first interstate trip – bought him goodwill in the resources sector after it and the WA Government had soured on the “Nature Positive” version of the laws put forward by previous minister Tanya Plibersek. He hoped his return to update and seek further feedback “builds some trust and the ability to work through what are going to be some challenging issues”. The minister characterised all his Perth meetings as positive, and said Mr Cook had come back on board. “He’s very supportive of these reforms, of course, (and) willing to play a role in helping get them over the line because he understands the significance of the reforms to the WA economy,” Senator Watt said. Business expectations for next week’s three-day economic reform roundtable are coalescing around it landing on a consensus position for approvals reform, with the EPBC changes likely to be at the heart of that. BHP boss Geraldine Slattery will join the roundtable for the half-day session on regulation and approvals. Slow approvals have long been the bane of the resources sector, and there is growing recognition that they are also holding up the rollout of renewable energy projects. The Productivity Commission last week highlighted the urgent need to streamline the system and Graeme Samuel, who reviewed the environmental laws in 2020, told The West that removing the duplication of approval processes was vital. State treasurers meeting on Friday are also expected to consider questions around the accreditation of State bodies to give projects a fast yes or no. Senator Watt said there was “very strong and broad support” to involve the States more in the assessment process, which could shave years off consideration, but a less unified position on going a step further and allowing them to do federal approvals as Professor Samuel recommended. Work is also underway to draft the national environmental standards that will underpin the new system. “I’m not sure that it’s going to be possible to draft every single regulation by the time we introduce a bill, but we’re conscious that all the stakeholders want to see the detail of the standards… and I think that would be almost like a condition of support for all of the stakeholders,” Senator Watt said.