In May 2020, The Environmental Defender’s Office made a submission on the Draft Land Use Planning and Approvals Amendment (Major Projects) Bill 2020, tabled in the Tasmanian Parliament in August of that year.

In its submission, the EDO raises the following concerns about the Draft Bill:

  • there is no demonstrated need for the reforms that would be implemented by the Draft Bill;
  • the eligibility criteria for a major project declaration are so broad that many projects would be eligible;
  • public participation rights are limited, particularly insofar as public comment is only invited after the Development Assessment Panel (DAP) has published its preliminary assessment report, the timeframes for public hearings, and that a major project declaration displaces merits review rights;
  • there are ambiguities around the way in which relevant regulators are required to contribute to the assessment of a major project;
  • the Draft Bill would enable a project proponent to “forum-shop” as between available assessment processes.

To view EDO’s submission in full, follow the link below.

Submission on Draft Land Use Planning and Approvals Amendment (Major Projects) Bill 2020Download