Key Points
A Dean Winter Labor Government will work with the Australian Government to streamline approvals and to support industries and jobs.
A Tasmanian Labor Government would seek to expand the successful Regional Forests Agreement model across other areas – starting with renewable energy.
A Labor Government will:
- Advocate for a process where compliance with State and Federal environment laws can be assessed through a streamlined single regulatory framework
- Stop the duplication of environmental law assessments
- Support industries and safe, secure, well-paid jobs
Why we need it
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act has been gamed by the Bob Brown Foundation and other activist groups to obstruct and stop developments at any cost.
There are more than 80 major renewable projects currently being built or shovel ready across Australia, yet we have not had a project come out of the ground in Tasmania since 2020. One of the key reasons for that is the uncertainty created by the multiple layers of bureaucracy.
The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called it an energy crisis – and they are right.
Across industry, investors are frustrated with long, drawn out and duplicated environmental assessment processes at the state and federal level. In fact, some have just given up and left.
We need a fresh start for these major projects.
“Labor will deliver hope for the future by working with traditional industries to streamline approvals for new major projects.”
The details
A Dean Winter Labor Government will work with the Australian Government to streamline approvals and to support industries and jobs.
Regional Forest Agreements demonstrate how coordination can occur between State and Federal environment law to ensure processes are rigorous but streamlined. It’s a model that a Dean Winter Labor Government will seek to expand across other areas – starting with renewable energy.
The Regional Forest Agreement model provides a process where compliance with State and Federal environment laws can be assessed through a streamlined single regulatory framework. It does not mean laws are bypassed – it means the assessment of environmental laws are not duplicated.
A Labor Government will also seek to optimise offset provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to better reflect Tasmania’s long-standing commitment to conservation. The fact that over half of our land mass is already in formal reserve is making it difficult for proponents to provide environmental offsets.
