The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement to restructure the Australian Public Service (APS) as part of its ongoing agenda to cut red tape and reduce duplication of services.
CME Chief Executive Paul Everingham said the decision to reduce the number of Government departments from 18 to 14 would lead to better policy outcomes for industry, as many of the Government departments dealt with the same issues.
“Industry has been greatly encouraged this year by the Federal Government’s commitment and action to implement greater efficiencies in its processes and governance,” he said.
“CME and our members have worked closely with the Morrison Government on practical and realistic solutions to reduce over-regulation and remove duplication through the Deregulation Taskforce, which has led to measures aimed at improving the timing and processing of environmental approvals for resources companies in Western Australia.
“This latest announcement aimed at streamlining Government services will make it easier for CME and it’s members to consult and collaborate with Government on issues impacting the sector, which ultimately will lead to better outcomes for the WA economy.”
Today’s decision follows Resources Minister Matt Canavan and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s announcement in August of a 12-month review examining how streamlining regulation can cut unnecessary red tape for resources projects, as well as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s commitment in June to identify and remove the regulations and bureaucratic processes that imposed the largest costs on key sectors of the economy and blocked investment.
