EDO has made a submission in response to the Productivity Commission’s draft report on its review of the regulation governing the resources sector at both the State/Territory and Federal level.
We agree with some of the findings of the draft report, including that regulation has not been a significant barrier to investment in the resources sector and in relation to the importance of providing the public with rights to challenge environmental and other decisions through a full merits review.
However, we have serious concerns with other aspects of the report, in particular that it was not informed by any evaluation of the environmental outcomes being created by the environmental legislation it reviewed and that the review assessed such legislation on the basis of short term economic outcomes.
This process has, concerningly, been placed on hold, with the Federal Government signalling it may proceed with changes to environmental protections (to ‘fast track’ projects) in advance of this review being finalised and possibly also in advance of the final report of the review of the EPBC Act, also currently underway.
There is currently no announced closing date for submissions in response to the Productivity Commission’s draft report, which can be made here.
