The new legislation replaces the 65 year old Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 and seeks to position the State with modern laws to ensure protection of important biodiversity assets.
CME Chief Executive Reg Howard Smith said the industry would review the legislation in detail before Parliamentary debate next year to ensure it delivered on minimising duplication and red tape in project development approvals, while protecting the State’s biodiversity conservation.
“CME is encouraged with the move towards a single threatened species list which should reduce unnecessary duplication in species assessments. While the new legislation significantly strengthens penalties for harming native species, it will be important it also provides the opportunity for more streamlined biodiversity conservation approvals,” Mr Howard-Smith said.
“The industry is supportive of the State Government’s commitment to progressing the ‘one-stop-shop’ environmental approvals approach, which aims to refer federal approval assessments and decision making to states and territories under bilateral agreements and will be reviewing the new legislation in this context.”
The full implementation of bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and the Western Australian Government has been delayed by amendments to federal environmental laws.
While it is disappointing the government did not consult during the development of the Bill, CME will work with its members to review the new legislation in detail and seek to brief members of parliament before it is debated next year.
