The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) acknowledges the WA Government’s continued focus on swift implementation of the recommendations from the Vogel-McFerran Review, and its focus on improving regulatory efficiency.
The release of the revised Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy for Major Projects is responsive to the implementation of the reformed Safeguard Mechanism by the Commonwealth Government.
CME Chief Executive Officer, Rebecca Tomkinson, said it made sense that effective regulation and regulatory efficiency go hand-in-hand.
“The WA resources industry supports strong environmental protections, and it’s better for the environment and better for business if approvals are delivered without unnecessary duplication,” Ms Tomkinson said.
“Today’s announcement acts on a recommendation in the Vogel McFerran review which focuses on removing regulatory duplication and points to a welcome coordination in the implementation of regulatory frameworks across state and federal governments.
“Where a facility is already regulated under the Commonwealth’s Safeguard Mechanism, additional state-based regulation is not required, so the duplication can be removed.”
Ms Tomkinson said CME supports the Paris Agreement and its goal of limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Safeguard Mechanism was revised in 2023 to reduce emissions from the heavy industry sector in line with Australia’s legislated Paris Agreement-aligned emission reduction targets of 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
<ENDS> Media contact: Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com