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Cook overhauls environmental laws, watchdog, to cut ‘green tape’
By Peter Milne
Assessments by Western Australia’s environmental watchdog will remain independent under legislative changes by the Labor government designed to speed up project approvals.
However, environmental groups are concerned the government will stack the Environmental Protection Authority board with industry-friendly members more likely to accept proposals.
People rallied at WA’s Parliament House last week to defend the EPA after its opposition to Woodside’s Browse gas project was revealed.
Premier Roger Cook said on Wednesday a new statement of government expectations – including regarding housing and green energy – to be issued to the EPA would only influence the priority given to processing, not assessment of environmental risks.
“At the moment, the EPA takes on projects on a first come, best-dressed basis, so it’s essentially a queue forming out the door regardless of the merits or the significance,” he said.
Cook said the assessment of Woodside’s Browse gas project, which this masthead revealed the EPA is leaning towards rejecting, would not be affected, is assessment being nearly completed.
The board will increase from five to nine members. Cook said under the present board, some proposals had been reviewed by just one member as all others had recused themselves due to potential conflicts of interest.
“That’s not the way we do things in WA.”
WA Premier Roger Cook denying the EPA board would be stacked with industry-friendly members.
Conservation Council of WA director Jess Beckerling said the changes were the worst attack any government had mounted on the watchdog.
“The Cook government is gutting the independence of the EPA right at the time when we need them to be curtailing emissions and protecting nature,” she said.
“The EPA board can [now] be stacked with industry representatives.”
Cook denied his government would do this, saying, “That’s not the way we do things in WA.”
The premier said he wanted board members with knowledge of financial, government and Aboriginal issues.
“We obviously need scientists … as well,” he said.
The legislation implements December 2023 report recommendations from past EPA chair Paul Vogel and planning consultant David McFerran.
“The review found that approvals can be overly complex, time-consuming and costly for proponents, without delivering any additional environmental benefits,” Cook said.
Other changes proposed include allowing proponents to pursue other regulatory approvals while under EPA assessment.
The reform disallows appeals against an EPA decision not to conduct a detailed assessment of a proposal (a public environmental review).
“I want WA to be a global renewable energy powerhouse to keep our economy strong for decades to come,” Cook said, but when questioned, he did not rule out gas projects receiving a state-mandated priority assessment.
“This is the biggest overhaul of our approval system in a generation, and these reforms will slash green tape and speed up approvals while maintaining the highest environmental standards,” he said.
Cook said the government was still reviewing the Vogel-McFerran recommendation the EPA avoid duplicating the effect of the Commonwealth’s safeguard mechanism controlling greenhouse emissions from large polluters.
The legislation is expected to be tabled Wednesday.
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