Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

():  I rise to draw the Senate's attention to a very important issue. It's an issue of Australia's economic prosperity and, indeed, our security, and it is in relation to environmental approvals. The Albanese government's proposed alterations to environmental protection laws are raising serious concerns within industry. They're jeopardising billions of dollars in future investments and tens of thousands of jobs in Western Australia's critical minerals and broader resources sector. I want to draw your attention to an excellent opinion piece that was published in today's West Australian, written by Senator Susan McDonald, the shadow resources minister. It was a fantastic piece, and I just want to quote one particular sentence from it:

The Federal Labor Government has showered the Environmental Defender's Office—an activist legal organisation dedicated to undermining our to undermining our resources sector in the courts—with millions in funding.

Western Australia holds a distinct advantage in seizing significant global economic opportunities. Our abundant natural resources open an opportunity for us to potentially excel in essential industries such as LNG, carbon capture, renewable energy, critical minerals and hydrogen, along with fisheries and agriculture. WA's competitive edge extends to its status as a cost-effective energy hub, playing a pivotal role in unlocking emerging prospects like downstream processing and advanced manufacturing. Additionally we're at the forefront of initiatives to bolster the national space and defence industries.

A report by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia revealed that more than $318 billion of investment projects in the state are awaiting environmental approval. The report suggests that a substantial portion of these projects may face even more delays or will have to be downsized due to federal environmental reforms. If that doesn't send shivers up your spine then I don't know what will, because, as I said when I started, this affects the economic prosperity and, indeed, security of this nation.

The coalition more than welcomes any investment into the resource sector. The government ought to show unwavering commitment to critical minerals, recognising that this industry, particularly in Western Australia, has been instrumental in steering our nation through numerous challenges and providing a stronger economy and even more jobs. However, the hard work of these industries will count for nothing if projects get tied up in years of green tape. As the CCIWA chief economist, Aaron Moray, has rightly said, it will be all dressed up with nowhere to go.

Despite the Albanese government's efforts to stimulate investment in critical minerals through $2 billion in taxpayer funded loans and guarantees, it is all for nothing, as CCIWA emphasises, if these initiatives have limited impact without efficient and reasonable environmental approvals in place. The CCIWA report says, and it's clearly identified, that more money invested in the industry will not bolster the economy, as the issue is not funding. The issue is the excessive number of environmental approvals already in place that are holding back economic growth plus the additional hoops being introduced through the new Environmental Protection Agency; reforms to the EPA and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act; and, potentially, the cultural heritage laws that Minister Plibersek wants to bring in.

The Australian people do not want more bureaucracy—green tape or red tape—and that has been made clear in Western Australia. We saw that through their strong opposition to the WA Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act. But we've got to see reforms. Given the significant implications of the government's plans, it is crucial for the government to decelerate the reforms process it is working on and ensure that there is ample time for industry to thoroughly examine the proposals and offer their input.