Environmental approvals fast-tracked
The State Government has cut red tape and significantly reduced the time taken to obtain environmental approvals by streamlining the process to ensure it is timely, rigorous and transparent. The number of approvals granted for major resource projects has significantly increased while the average processing time for environmental approvals has come down.
The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has successfully reduced the average processing time to assess works approval applications for major resource projects from more than 60 working days in September 2008, when the Liberal-National Government took power, to 45 days as at March 2011.
Despite an increase in workload, DEC continues to maintain an average processing time for works approval applications below the target time frame, and is processing licence applications in an average of 34 working days.
In respect to native vegetation clearing permits, there was a target time frame of 90 calendar days to make a decision when the clearing provisions began in July 2004.
DEC set a new target that 80 per cent of applications were to be decided within 60 calendar days of receipt, with a decision on the remaining 20 per cent within 90 calendar days.
In the twelve months between March 2010 and March 2011, the department met those targets. In the first three months of 2011 the targets were exceeded, with 86 per cent of applications decided within 60 days of receipt and the remaining 14 per cent within 90 days.
DEC publishes quarterly reports for works approvals and licences, native vegetation clearing permits, classification of contaminated sites, environmental enforcement statistics, and land use planning advice on its website at: http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/quarterlyreporting
The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has successfully reduced the average processing time to assess works approval applications for major resource projects from more than 60 working days in September 2008, when the Liberal-National Government took power, to 45 days as at March 2011.
Despite an increase in workload, DEC continues to maintain an average processing time for works approval applications below the target time frame, and is processing licence applications in an average of 34 working days.
In respect to native vegetation clearing permits, there was a target time frame of 90 calendar days to make a decision when the clearing provisions began in July 2004.
DEC set a new target that 80 per cent of applications were to be decided within 60 calendar days of receipt, with a decision on the remaining 20 per cent within 90 calendar days.
In the twelve months between March 2010 and March 2011, the department met those targets. In the first three months of 2011 the targets were exceeded, with 86 per cent of applications decided within 60 days of receipt and the remaining 14 per cent within 90 days.
DEC publishes quarterly reports for works approvals and licences, native vegetation clearing permits, classification of contaminated sites, environmental enforcement statistics, and land use planning advice on its website at: http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/quarterlyreporting
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Ph: +61 (08) 9923 9211; Fax: +61 (08) 9923 9222; Email: brian.ellis@mp.wa.gov.au
Ph: +61 (08) 9923 9211; Fax: +61 (08) 9923 9222; Email: brian.ellis@mp.wa.gov.au
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