The McGowan Government is seeking community and stakeholder feedback on a draft pricing model for fees and charges on environmental impact assessments.
Amendments to the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act) were passed by State Parliament in November 2020 to allow for cost recovery for the referral, assessment and implementation of proposals under Part IV of the EP Act.
A five-week public consultation opens today for interested parties to have their say on the new fees payable by proponents who have projects assessed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).
Under the proposed model, third party referrers will not be charged.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) supports the EPA to undertake environmental impact assessment of significant proposals and undertakes compliance monitoring of environmental approvals.
Feedback from the consultation with stakeholders will be used to inform the cost recovery model. Charges are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2022.
Along with the public consultation, DWER is engaging directly with its stakeholder reference groups to ensure industry and stakeholders can anticipate how the new cost recovery arrangements will affect them.
The public consultation is open from today (September 20) until October 22, 2021. For more information on the consultation, visit the DWER consultation hub at https://www.wa.gov.au
Cost recovery complements other measures being introduced to improve environmental assessments, including Environment Online and the establishment of a Biodiversity Information Office led by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
As stated by Environment Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
“The McGowan Government’s successful management of the COVID-19 pandemic and WA’s strong economic recovery have seen an average annual increase in referrals to the EPA of 45 per cent over the past five years.
“The proposed model is designed to enable Government to better meet the expectations of industry and the community, without compromising the environmental values of the State.
“I encourage members of the public and stakeholders to take the time to consider the new pricing model and engage in the consultation process.”
