Red tape reforms brought forward

The State Government has announced a range of regulatory reforms through Streamline WA to aid the economic recovery from COVID-19.

Streamline WA was established in December 2018 to interrogate the regulatory burden holding WA back. Its remit was to look at current regulatory practices and culture to recommend improvements that would promote investment in WA.

Last Friday, Treasurer Ben Wyatt combined with Small Business Minister Paul Papalia and Local Government Minister David Templeman to announce a range of quicker, less costly processes aimed at quickening approvals processes and allowing small businesses to flourish.

A pilot program of these impending changes in the City of Stirling and City of Canning produced 61 recommendations aimed at reducing approval timeframes, improving services and reducing costs, particularly for small businesses.

These changes focus on quicker approval timeframes for certain developments across 20 local governments and build on recent planning and environment approval reforms. The announcement also foreshadowed further red tape reduction measures to be introduced in legislation. Key areas for process improvement include mining, tourism and “other developments.”

Importantly, the State Government has flagged a one-stop shop of approval agencies online from 1 January 2021, with additional functions to be added from March 2021. Property Council WA is seeking clarification on the scope of this process and which industries will benefit.

In our initial pre-COVID State Budget submission, Property Council WA called for Streamline WA to have a greater role in easing the red tape burden on WA business. Property Council WA welcomes last week’s announcement and is committed to working with Streamline WA and the State Government to realise further improvements in red tape reform, especially in the planning and development space.

Click here to view the media release from the Treasurer, Minister for Small Business and Minister for Local Government.