CME congratulates the Western Australian Government on the passage of new biodiversity conservation laws through the lower house.
The laws, which will replace the out-dated 65 year old Wildlife Conservation Act 1950, have been debated by successive governments for nearly 15 years.
Chamber of Minerals and Energy deputy chief executive Nicole Roocke said the contemporary biodiversity conservation laws should give the community further confidence in the delegation of commonwealth environmental approvals through the States and Territories.
“The new legislation significantly strengthens penalties for harming native species, but also provides the opportunity for more streamlined biodiversity conservation approvals,” Ms Roocke said.
“Following the outcome of this weekend’s Federal election, CME is urging elected Federal Senators to re-engage on progressing towards a ‘one-stop-shop’ environmental approvals approach.”
The creation of a Biodiversity Conservation Act is a significant step forward in modernising biodiversity laws in Western Australia, but will not be at the expense of timely and efficient approvals, she said.
